


Journey to Dawn

by Shiary



Series: The Cure AU [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bahamut sucks, Carbuncle and Ramuh are friendly, Chapters 6 to 8 have graphic violence, Everyone does their best, Fix-It, Gen, I make my own Eos Lore, M/M, Noctis doesn't follow the prophecy, Team as Family, everyone is there at some point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2021-04-22
Packaged: 2021-04-24 16:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 34,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22216264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiary/pseuds/Shiary
Summary: Noctis failed Leviathan's trial. He was deemed unfit to be the Chosen King by Bahamut.Noctis didn't care. It didn't change the threat from Niflheim. Didn't change the existence of the scourge. Didn't change how he felt about Prompto, Ignis and Gladio.Noctis was going to stand strong and do what he had too to be the best king he could be. And his friends, his family; were going to stand by his side through it all.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Series: The Cure AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/682673
Comments: 52
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for your patience! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this ongoing adventure.

Noctis frowned as he watched Navalus Ulric and Elder Nomine describe the latest report on Niflheim movements. The Niflheim Airfleet surrounded most of the islands, isolating the Galahdian villages and carrying out bombardments across the region with careless regularity. Noctis was just happy that the people of Galahd were so adept at surviving hostile situations as it kept the casualty list small.

“What about the supplies?” Noctis asked, glancing between the paper he held in his hand and the map. “Have the hunts and fishing expeditions been able to provide supplies where they are needed?”

Navalus nodded. “So far. Talaga sent their surplus with the last messenger and it was rerouted to Albern without complications.”

Elder Nomine tapped a finger against the table. “Your gift of magic has made our supply routes much easier and safer, Young King. Worry yourself with the enemy and allow us to manage the supplies.”

Noctis shifted from side to side at the title. His dad was helping out too, along with Clarus, Weskham and Cor; but he was the only one being addressed as King. When Noctis had asked about it Nyx had patted him on the back and told him not to worry about it. Ignis and Gladio have teased him about his discomfort at the title but they understood where it came from.

As for Prompto…. Noctis shook his head and refocused on the meeting. It lasted for another hour, discussing the more minute details of the new Kingsglaive training, the scheduled messages with Luche, and the approaching fall season. As both Galahdians left the tent, Noctis allowed himself to slump forward with a sigh. 

A throbbing headache was making its presence known to Noctis. With a grimace, Noctis got to his feet and went looking for Ignis and Gladio. He found Gladio finishing a drill, with Clarus and Cor both helping with the ongoing training. 

“Gladio.” Noctis raised his hand in greeting as he approached his Shield. “Do you know where Ignis is?”

Gladio rested his greatsword on the ground with a soft grunt as he acknowledged Noctis’ approach with a nod. “Probably still in the infirmary. He wanted to do a full list of the curatives we have left.” He paused, eyes roaming over Noctis. “Need anything?”

“Headache starting,” was the reply.

“Huh.” Gladio let his sword fade back into the armiger as he glanced over at his dad. Clarus gave a sharp nod, his voice rising to bark orders at the poor glaives who had paused to stare at Noctis. Gladio’s lips twitched as he walked over to Noct. “Come on. Let’s get you something. We can check on Iggy at the same time.” Noctis hummed in agreement as they both started walking further into the village.

In the weeks since their arrival to the fertile islands of Galahd, Noctis had had the chance to travel through the many villages spread across the dozen of islands that comprised the archipelago. Most held the same kind of general building locations centered around the market plaza that also doubled as the town’s Commons ground for events. The streets formed a loose spiral from there with the schools and main services forming the first spiral.

And just as the people of Galahd were diverse, so were the houses they built. Noctis saw homes of oven-baked bricks sitting comfortably beside wooden huts and Lucian mortar-and-cement houses. Children played in the streets, filling the air with laughter as parents, elders and the other adults kept a cautious eye on them. 

Noctis had been worried when he’d first witnessed the sight of a village going through their day. The bombardments from Niflheim had been a daily thing since their arrival and he didn’t want to see a child hurt if he could prevent it. His worry had faded quickly as he witnessed the fierce protectiveness of a Galahdian community during one of said bombardments.

An alarm had sounded from the watchtower as the first airships came into view. Within 30 seconds, everyone had disappeared into a house, hut or home; leaving the streets bereft of life. Noctis and his group had been squirrelled into one by their guide and had found themselves in a shelter glistening with some kind of magic Noctis had never seen before.

Nyx, Crowe, Libertus and Pelna had all shrugged when asked about it, only saying the shelters had always been there and that they weren’t aware of any magic involved in their maintenance. The elders knew something but refused to answer any questions on the matter.

A touch to his back brought Noctis back to what he was doing just in time to keep himself from walking right past the infirmary. “Noct?” Gladio leaned forward with a frown. “You alright?”

Noctis gave a wry, tired smile. “Just have a lot on my mind.” Gladio didn’t look convinced but didn’t press further, merely guiding Noctis into the clinic gently.

The receptionist rose to his feet as soon as Noctis walked in. “Your Majesty!” Noctis raised a hand before he could leave his post. The receptionist sat slowly back down, hesitating before he said. “Sir Scientia is in the back if you require him?”

“Thank you. We’ll make our own way.” Noctis said as he passed by the desk and further into the infirmary. They passed room after room in silence, Noctis occasionally glancing inside. He was glad to see how few rooms were occupied, mostly by those with illness rather than injuries.

Gladio held the storage room open for Noctis, smiling fondly as he spotted Ignis further in the room. “Ignis! Time to take a break.”

“I haven’t been working that long!” Ignis shot back as he wheeled his chair to face Gladio, a glare that soon melted away as he faced his lovers. “Noctis! Do you need something?” 

Noctis smiled, walking quickly to greet Ignis with a kiss. “Just something for a headache. Nothing big. How are the supplies?” Gladio stole a kiss from Ignis as Noctis was talking, stepping behind the wheelchair after asking Ignis wordlessly.

Ignis allowed Gladio to push him. “The supplies are holding steady for now though we’re starting to run low on Hi-potions.” He glanced at Noctis with a pensive frown then motioned for Gladio to push him towards a specific row. “As for your headache, let’s see if some of these will help.” Ignis reached out and grabbed a large white bottle among several similar ones. 

After a quick check of the label, Ignis opened it and gave Noctis 2 small white pills before grabbing a water bottle from their armiger and handing it over as well. “They should take effect in 20 minutes or so. Do let me know if it doesn’t help.”

Noctis smiled, leaning in to kiss Ignis again.

_ Bang! _

“Noct! Iggy! Gladio! You in here?” Prompto’s voice, slightly out of breath, called out.

Noctis straightened quickly, turning around as he replied. “Here Prom!” Quick steps announced Prompto’s approach. Their missing lover appeared at the end of the row causing Ignis to frown and start wheeling himself towards him.

Prompto was covered in a light coat of dirt. Scratches and cuts littered his arms with dried blood mixed with the dirt. “Prompto,” Ignis said, a warning edge to his voice. “Why haven’t you cleaned those injuries up?”

Prompto blinked several times, glanced at his arms with a look of surprise, then scratched the back of his head while giving an awkward laugh. “Ah... I guess I didn’t notice those.” Ignis tutted as he tugged Prompto down to get a better look.

Noctis itched to grab a potion and break it over Prom but Luna’s warning stopped him from doing so. Instead he settled for watching Ignis treat the thankfully small injuries in a more traditional way. “So why were you looking for us?” Noctis asked.

Prompto straightened, his smile dropping slightly as he answered. “There was a raid by the coast. It did significant damage to the northern cliffs by Cunabula.”

“Casualties?”

“None so far but part of the cliff collapsed and the locals are worried about it collapsing further.”

“Shit.” Gladio tapped his fingers against his arm. “Cunabula is one of the main fishing areas, right?” Noctis nodded. “If it gets evacuated then it’ll cut down on the supplies available plus the evacuation itself would make for a big target to Niflheim.”

Ignis finished bandaging Prompto’s injuries. “That may be the exact effect Niflheim was aiming for.” He mused, motioning that he was done to Prompto. 

“Maybe.” Prompto stood back up. “There’s another thing though.” They shifted their attention back to Prompto. “We took a look at the collapsed cliff and found some kind of cave entrance. I sent Lydia and Marcus to take a quick look. They didn’t go too far in but the cave definitely leads deeper into Galahd.”

Noctis bit his lip. “A way in for Niflheim, then.” Prompto nodded. “Gladio, we need to check those caves out and prepare for the possible evacuation of Cunabula. Let the others know we’ll be meeting in an hour about it.” Gladio gave a brief bow and headed off.

Noctis turned to Ignis, who smiled peacefully and said, “I’ll go check where the evacuees could go and meet you there.” Noctis nodded thankfully and stepped out of the way so Ignis could wheel himself passed them.

That only left Prompto and Noctis knew exactly what he was going to do in the hour left before the meeting. “Come on.” Noctis grabbed Prompto by the hand. “You need a shower then a nap.” 

* * *

_ Noctis had expected to see Carbuncle as he walked through the thick forests that  _ ** _weren’t_ ** _ those of his childhood adventure. The thick vines and brilliant flowers were the same as those Noctis saw when awake. _

** _This is Galahd, young king._ ** _ Ramuh rumbled from beside Noctis.  _

_ “Why are you here, Ramuh? Bahamut made it quite clear I had failed his so-called prophecy.” He’d failed Leviathan’s test and had been tried by the Astrals two months ago, only to be declared another corrupted Chosen because of Prompto’s unique abilities. Since then, Noctis had only been able to use Carbuncle’s blessing, though Ramuh’s mark had remained unbroken too. _

_ Ramuh stayed silent, merely floating beside Noctis as they walked forward to an unknown destination. The forest lay thick and gnarled as they passed unhindered by its state. The sounds of birds mixed with trickling water was comforting.  _

_ Noctis shrugged and kept going, Ramuh would either speak or not but either way Noctis was curious to see where this dream was bringing him. Time didn’t really exist within these dreams unless those involved wanted it to, a neat trick Noctis took full advantage of when he was sharing a dream with Ignis, Gladio and Prompto. _

** _I am here to keep Them from eating you._ **

_ Ramuh’s words jolted Noctis out of his reminiscing towards full awareness of his surroundings. “Them? Who are Them?” Noctis looked at Ramuh for answers. The Fulgarian was sporting a wry, almost amused smile as he gestured in a wide circle. _

** _Them, young king. They watch Their Children even now._ **

_ Yellow eyes dotted branches around them.  _

** _And this is where They reside._ **

_ Noctis stepped out of the forest and into a clearing, a single immense tree standing in the center of it. Large white coeurls lounged on every massive branch, their tails swinging from side to side as their gaze pierced Noctis. _

_ He shivered under their eyes, but refused to be cowed. Noctis straightened his spine, raised his head and kept walking. Ramuh hummed approvingly. _

_ Now that he was closer, Noctis saw that the tree wasn’t in good health. A large breach had opened at its base, dark scars extending from it higher and deeper into the tree. “Is that the Scourge?” Noctis muttered as he came to a stop before it. _

** _In part but not quite._ ** _ Ramuh said as he floated forward and into the breach.  _ ** _This way young king._ **

_ Noctis followed, eyes darting from side to side as he took in as much detail as he could. Carvings decorated the inside of the breach as it turned into a passage. The slight slump of the mossy floor told Noctis they were descending under the ground. _

_ Writing he couldn’t understand - Galahdian perhaps? - joined the carvings and paintings that flowed along the walls. At first, Noctis tried to understand them. Frowning and mouthing to himself in an attempt to decipher their meaning. Then, as Noctis continued downwards and lightning started climbing the walls, he started to  _ _ feel _ _ their presence, whispering their story as he passed by. _

_ Stories of Hunts. Stories of Legends. Stories of the islands before Lucis existed. Stories of how Galahd became Galahd curled around Noctis like overgrown kittens, trying to get the sole attention of their human. _

_ And then They appeared. Curled into a comfortable ball. Each breath creating storm and tornado seeds that were whisked towards the sea by the white coeurls running around. _

** _Ask the Elders. The Scourge must still be defeated or all of Eos will perish._ **


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In search of answers about the White Coeurl from his vision, Noctis asks some Elders about myths and legends concerning coeurls in Galahd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience! I am halfway done through the first arc and want to be done writing that far before starting to post regularly.

Noctis looked around the room thoughtfully. Cor and Clarus were flanking his dad, the three of them discussing something in a low voice. Nyx, Ravus, Luna and Crowe were bent over a map of the island of Galahd. Navalus was speaking with an Elder, a comfortable looking fire casting a red glow over everyone in the room. 

Noctis cleared his throat and greeted them.”Thank you for getting together so quickly.” They all stopped talking and straightened. Noctis swallowed; he was still unused to being the center of such intense attention. "As you have been told, an airstrike near Cunabula caused a part of the cliffs to crumble. The elders of Cunabula are worried that more of the cliff is going to crumble, possibly endangering the town itself. Furthermore, Prompto" - he indicated Prompto with a tilt of his head - "noticed that a new cave system was revealed by the attack. Our initial scouts have confirmed that the system leads further in...."

The Elder interrupted Noctis. "A cave system near Cunabula? Are you certain?" Noctis nodded, startled by the uncharacteristic interruption. The Elder turned her gaze towards the fire, remaining silent for a long moment before speaking again. "The cave must be investigated."

"I can go check it out." Nyx offered. "Libertus can be my back up." Noctis nodded, glancing over at his dad before refocusing on the meeting. They still needed to get ready for the possible evacuation of the town.

* * *

Noctis drummed his fingers on the table, mind everywhere except the reports in front of him. He was worried.

Worried about the Great White Coeurl that Ramuh had shown him. 

The Coeurl had been asleep, Their whiskers twitching every so often as They dreamed.

Noctis had been certain he’d watched  _ storms _ being born from every soft exhalation. Storms! Hurricanes, lightning storms, even hail storms!

He’d asked Luna discreetly about such a being but she’d never heard, read, or seen a messenger or Astral that fit his description. Now, Noctis wondered if it was a beast, like the Quetzalcoatl. But that didn’t sit right with Noctis. There was something indescribable to the White Coeurl, something that screamed Divine. 

“Noctis.” Ignis’ voice jolted him back to the moment. Noctis turned to face his advisor, a wry smile plastered on in a half-hearted attempt to pretend he'd been listening.

Ignis sighed, "You've been rather inattentive these last few hours." He wheeled over to Noctis' side, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "What occupies your mind?"

Noctis grimaced, he didn't know how to explain the dream to Ignis. Still he did his best, haltingly recounting the odd dream in bits and pieces. Ignis listened intently, making notes but never interrupting until Noctis was done speaking.

Ignis waited a beat to confirm he was done speaking before he proposed, "Perhaps the Elders of Galahd would be able to help you? Ramuh is known as their patron astral, and you did say Ramuh was quite clear on where you were."

Noctis perked up, a grin now replacing his worried frown. "Of course!" He jumped up and ran out, throwing a quick "Thanks, Specs!" as he ran off, leaving Ignis to finish his work.

He knew exactly whom to ask.

* * *

Navalus was at his usual spot, the market plaza in Focis. Despite the ongoing war, the market was busy, filled with Galahdians, Insomnian refugees, and Lucians buying and selling things. Noctis only stopped twice; once to gawk at one of the largest sea bass he’d ever seen, and the second time to snag a snack.

As he munched on the candied bite-sized bread bits, Noctis waved at Navalus. “Hey, got a minute to spare?”

“Of course, how can I help?” Navalus nodded to the man he’d been speaking with before he turned to face Noctis.

Noctis finished his snack, offering a few to Navalus, before he spoke. “White coeurls are rare, right?”

Navalus tilted his head slightly, “It would depend on where you live, I suppose. The white coeurls of Galahd are unique to the islands, especially the northern ones. Why do you ask?”

“I heard someone mentioning some kind of huge white coeurl and got curious.” Noctis shrugged. He didn’t want to explain about Carbuncle, Ramuh or his dreams.

“The name of  Kaitiaki  is still spoken of in these parts.” An older couple walked over to stand beside Noctis. The speaker smiled widely, showing her many missing teeth. “It has been many millennia since Kaitiaki has been seen in Galahd though the Storms still remain. They are usually invoked when a hunt must be successful or if a judgement of great importance is to be delivered.”

“Kaitiaki? What do you mean?” Noctis shifted to face the elders politely.

The second elder moved their hands quickly. Noctis recognized a few signs of Lucian Sign Language from his half-forgotten lessons as a kid.  _ Tonight. Story? Fire. _ He made the sign - he hoped it was at least - of the polite apology. “Sorry, I’m not well versed in LSL.”

Navalus chuckled and translated for him. “Xe is offering to have you come to tonight’s gathering. Xe and Xe’s wife are the memory keepers of Focis and are offering to recount some of the held memories of the Great Kaitiaki.”

Noctis bowed low towards the couple. “I would be honored to attend.” The Storytellers both smiled at Noctis then continued on their way. Noctis spent a few more minutes talking with Navalus before he returned to face Ignis.

* * *

Noctis leaned on Gladio as he watched the bonfire dance. Prompto was helping Ignis through his walking physio exercises at the edge of the light, the wheelchair within reach. It was great to see Ignis back on his feet, shaky as he was. Gladio nudged him out of his thoughts, “Enjoying the view?”

Noctis grinned as he bestowed a kiss to his Shield. “Yup.” His eyes turned towards his other two boyfriends. “It’s just… great to see Specs on his feet again.”

Gladio nuzzled his hair, “The doctors did say he’d recover.”

“Still nice to see proof of it though.” Gladio nodded. Noctis shifted to be more comfortable, his thoughts turning to something he’d been wanting to discuss with them for a while. Just as Noctis opened his mouth to ask Gladio...

“Welcome all and everyone.” The Storytellers stepped forth into the region of the fire. All conversations ceased almost immediately and all eyes turned towards them. “We have a special Story to tell tonight. One which has long been unspoken outside of the Council of Elders.” Xe walked to the opposite side of Xe’s wife as Xe tossed a small bag into the fire. 

The fire doubled in size, turned a bright white for several minutes as the Storytellers started their tale.

**Long long ago, before the Ocean rose and separated the clans of Galahd, before the Black Stain appeared across the land, before the Six came to be, before the first human stepped onto Galahd; a coeurl was born as thunder struck the ground.**

**With a coat of snow and coal, and eyes of molten earth, the cub grew as one of many among the tribe. They learned to hunt, to protect, and to guide the tribe through the jungles that were their home. **

**Years passed, seasons changed, and the world changed with them. The cub became an adult of the tribe and earned a name. And thus began the rise of the Great White Coeurl Kaitiaki. **

**For that spring, the cold stayed longer and the days continued to be cold. Prey became scarce for the tribe and fights with other tribes became more frequent. Kaitiaki knew that should the cold season continue then all tribes were in danger. Thus Kaitiaki left his tribe, determined to find a new hunting ground large enough for all the tribes that prowled their home.**

**Kaitiaki followed the sun for three days without rest before they left the familiar grounds their tribe had called home. Days passed as Kaitiaki followed the sun in its journey until they came to a land untouched by the snow. **

**In that land, so far from where Kaitiaki had grown, the grass was sweet smelling, the fruits ripe and the prey abundant enough to last 100 years of feasting. After hunting enough to calm their hunger, Kaitiaki found a perch and watched the lives within the land. They grew curious the more time they spent watching.**

**Such a land filled with bountiful prey and yet….and yet they saw no predator. Could such a land truly exist? Such an ideal jungle for coeurls?**

**No, there had to be something else happening. Kaitiaki rose once more and started to walk through the jungle, eyes wide and ears perked, in search of the secrets hidden within the apparent paradise.**

**4 days passed peacefully before Kaitiaki found a hint to the new land's secret. The largest snake Kaitiaki had ever seen slithered through the trees silently, leaving no trace of its passage despite its size.**

**Kaitiaki stalked it through the jungle and the rivers, through day and night. With singular determination and the strange knowledge that the snake held the answers they sought, Kaitiaki followed them until they stopped in a clearing where a dying tree stood.**

**"I know you're there." The snake said, slithering over the dying tree with utmost care. "Come jungle hunter, come closer and tell me why you have come to my domain."**

**Kaitiaki hesitated for mere moments before they crept out into the clearing. "I am Kaitiaki. I have come to find new hunting grounds for my people for snow lingers still on ours."**

**The snake listened to Kaitiaki intently as they described the plight that had sent them looking for a new home. As Kaitiaki stopped speaking, the snake slithered closer with curious tilt of her head, and flick of her tongue. “So that time has returned after all.”**

**“Do you know what has happened to our hunting grounds?”**

**“Yes; for I have seen it before, millenia ago.” The snake circled around Kaitiaki once before returning to the dying tree. With a careful flick of her tail, a single ripe red fruit fell down in front of Kaitiaki. “The cold will grow and snow will cover everything except for the sun-filled lands and those protected by these Trees.” The snake pointed at the dying tree.**

**“I have been the guardian of this Tree and that of these lands for a very very long time. If you accept, I will cede the right to these lands to you. You will live as a guardian of all that call these lands home until your own Tree dies and a new Guardian is chosen.”**

**Kaitiaki paced around the single fruit at their feet, eyes glancing between the Tree and the snake. They sensed there was more to the role of Guardian than the snake was saying but when faced with the growing cold his tribe faced, there was no reason to hesitate.**

**The young coeurl sat by the fruit and made his choice. “What must I do?”**

**The snake replied with a satisfied smile. “Kill me. Drink of my blood and eat my flesh. You will gain the knowledge you require to be the next Guardian of these lands.” With those words, the snake struck at Kaitiaki.**

**The fight was done within a single blow as Kaitiaki twisted out of the way, lightning frying the snake as they bit down viciously. As blood filled their mouth, Kaitiaki was filled with the wisdom of countless Guardians. As they ate the flesh of their predecessor, Kaitiaki could suddenly sense every living thing within their new land.**

**Filled with the knowledge of the past, Kaitiaki ate the fruit they’d been given and planted the seed of the next Tree in the grave of the snake. **

“And so, a new land was found for all the tribes of coeurls that answered Kaitiaki’s call. These lands became Galahd, protected by the Guardian Kaitiaki even to this day. The Tree of the Guardian stands tall somewhere in our land, its location lost to our memory by choice.” The Storytellers clapped their hands together in unison, marking an end to the night.

The children started talking all at the same time, asking questions to the Storytellers, and to each other. As for Noctis, he didn’t know what to make of the story. Was the giant white coeurl the Guardian Kaitiaki? Is that what the Storytellers were saying? But if so, was the title Guardian another word for an Astral or a Messenger?

“You still have questions do you not Young King?” Noctis jerked out of his thoughts and scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he rose to greet the Storytellers.

Ignis chuckled, “That was quite the story you’ve told us tonight. You are both quite talented.” Gladio and Prompto both nodded.

The Storytellers smiled and nodded their thanks but their attention stayed on Noctis. “Well… Umm… I was just wondering if a “Guardian” is the same as a “Messenger” or an “Astral”?”

“ No. They are not. ” Xe replied simply. 

The second Storyteller continued, “Astrals and Messengers appeared with humans but Guardians have always existed, ever since the first Tree grew from Eos.” 

Noctis straightened and was about to ask more questions when a commotion erupted from the other side of the plaza. “King Noctis!” A shout cut through the chatter as a hunter approached. “You’re needed at the infirmary! Captain Nyx has returned!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaitiaki means Guardian in Maori.
> 
> Happy St-Valentines!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx and Libertus return from their scouting mission worse for wear. They have quite the tale to tell.

Noctis barged into the room, his eyes taking in the mess that was Nyx and Libertus. Large shadows hung from their eyes. Bruises, that looked too old to have been made since their departure less than a day ago, were scattered across every inch of skin not covered by scratches or cuts. Their pants were cut, charred and shredded in several areas.

Noct raised a brow at the lack of shirts for a moment before he smashed two hi-potions on their head. “You both look like shit. What happened?” He demanded as he dropped into a seat and waited for the inevitable report.

Nyx shared a glance with Libertus, “I don’t know if you’ll believe us.”

“Of course we will!” Prompto plopped himself between the two, arms reaching out to hug them. He waited for a beat before prodding gently, “So what happened?”

Nyx sighed then, with one last glance to Libertus, told them.

* * *

Nyx took the first steps into the cave without hesitating, Libertus only a few steps behind. Neither had seen any traces of Niflheim in the area but they knew better than to let their guard down. Nyx frowned, lifted a hand to warn Libs as he dropped to a crouch to look at something. 

“This is…” Nyx carefully touched the ground. “A group passed here not too long ago. Looks like standard Niflheim army boot tracks.”

“So they are here already.” Libertus dropped beside him. “Guess we’ll have some cleaning up to do.” They shared a ferocious grin before getting back to their feet. 

Time to hunt some soldiers.

Years of hunting and fighting together had made them well-practiced partners. Nyx took the lead as they followed the tracks deeper into the cave. They listened carefully for the sounds of the Niflheim soldiers, but strangely heard only the sounds of dripping water mixing with the ever present moaning wind that pushed them deeper into the cave.

Then they found the first body. “What in Ifrit’s name?” Libertus hissed, raising a hand over his nose at the awful stink it made. “What kind of beast could have done that?”

The body was barely recognizable as one. The limbs had been shredded into ribbons. Large holes pierced the head and body, the sickly burning smell telling them whatever had caused them had been red hot. 

Nyx swallowed down his nausea and forced himself to examine the corpse in more detail. The blond hair and the familiar but not eyes told him this had been one of the clones. He closed the eyes with a wince, reminding himself that while it might have looked like Prompto, Niflheim had ensured the clones were unable to think, feel pain or otherwise have any semblance of thoughts beyond what was programmed into them.

It didn’t make dealing with them any better but Nyx pressed on. He could cuddle with Prompto when they returned. For now he forced himself to check the wounds. He could see no claw or bite mark, only smooth holes of burnt flesh.

A hand dropped on his shoulder. “Come on Nyx. I don’t think we’ll find anything more.” Libertus squeezed his shoulder gently then stepped back as Nyx got up. “The tracks divide into three a bit further away. We’ll have to pick which way to go.”

“Follow the Niffs? Or continue our own mission?” Nyx asked after looking at the three tunnels leading deeper into the (group of underground systems caves).

“Aren’t they one and the same?” Libs retorted with a shrug. Nyx raised a brow and waited until Libertus sighed. “Fine. I’d rather avoid fighting in here as much as possible so let’s stick to finding where this system leads.”

Nyx rolled his eyes but jerked his head towards the right most tunnel. “The wind is going through there.” 

They followed the tunnel as it led deeper inland. Then the weirdness started. At first, it wasn’t really noticeable. Silver lines mixed into the dark grey surroundings. Unusual smoothness to a surface. The moaning of the wind growing to sound just the slightest bit like voices.

Then a wall of spike impaled Nyx before Libertus could even blink. “NYX!!!” He scrambled for the rock face, nail useless as he tried to get through to his friend.

A heavy thump behind him made Libertus twirl around, a vicious snarl and an even more vicious kukri in hand. His knees almost gave out as he saw Nyx, alive, crumbled to the ground dry heaving. “Shit! Nyx!” Libertus scrambled over, shoving a water bottle into Nyx’s hands even as he checked him over for injuries.

“Ramuh’s beard, how did you know to warp away?”

“Didn’t.” Came the raspy voice. “I… That thing…. Libs… I think I died…”

“Choco shit.” Libs frowned as he decided he’d better force Nyx to take a potion if he thought he’d died. “You’re still among the living Nyx.”

Nyx opened his mouth to reply but didn’t, settling on letting Libertus break a potion over him. Libertus got back up, looked at the blocked passage and grumbled, “Looks like we’d better go back. If the caves are booby-trapped like this then the Niffs are likely dead.”

Nyx gave a wan smile, slowly got up to his feet and nodded. “I have no complaint about that.”

This time Libertus led the way though he kept glancing back to Nyx every few seconds. It was during one of his glances backwards that Libertus died for the first time. The ground disappeared under his feet and he felt the burning spikes sear through his spine and stomach.

He heard Nyx scream his name. 

Then Libertus dropped to the ground right beside Nyx. His stomach twisted in protest as Nyx swept Libertus into a relieved hug. “Shit Libs! You okay?” Libertus gagged and pushed Nyx away just in time as his last meal came back out.

“Ramuh’s blessed ass, that was worse than warping!” Libertus grumbled as he wiped his mouth with a shaking hand.

Nyx sat back on his hunches and shook his head, “That’s all you have to say after dying like that?” He tried to make his tone joking but wasn’t really successful.

Libs reached out and squeezed Nyx’s arm gently. “Now what?”

“.... I don’t think we have much of a choice here.” Nyx finally whispered after the tense silence. “We’ve been following the only path there is and we’ve walked longer than when we entered.”

“And this place doesn’t look anything like the path we were on coming in.” Libertus added as he looked around. 

Nyx nodded. “Ya. And I don’t think going back is going to help either.” Nyx jerked his thumb backwards where the walls were covered by silvery lines that shone just enough to limit their vision.

The two stayed silent for a while longer, Libs catching his breath and Nyx trying to figure out what to do. “We’ll have to keep going.” Nyx finally said, shoulders slumping slightly at the prospect. “And hope that whatever is keeping us from dying won’t stop once we get out.”

* * *

“We got killed a bunch of times over the next few days.” Nyx finished, “Luckily for us, whatever kept us from dying did not stop once we managed to find the way out.” He flinched as Crowe slapped the back of his head with a glare.

Noctis reached out and gripped Libertus’ and Nyx’s forearm. “I’m so glad you survived.” Anything else he wanted to say was interrupted by Luna’s arrival. Noctis shared amused glances with his boyfriends as Luna set about fussing over Nyx and Libertus.

The next morning saw another meeting arranged though with less members as Regis, Clarus and Cor had left with some soldiers to help out another island. Nyx and Libertus gave the same report, with a bit less details on their deaths this time, to everyone.

As they finished speaking, Noctis looked around to gauge the reactions of his friends and advisors. Ravus looked both horrified and intrigued by the information but it was Navalus and Elder Prudens’ reactions that caught his attention.

“Does it mean something to either of you?” Noctis inquired with a tilt of his head.

Navalus and Elder Prudens shared a look before the Elder spoke. “It is the Trial Grounds of Kaitiaki.”

Luna straightened and leaned forward. “A Trial Ground?”

Elder Prudens nodded, “Yes. When Kaitiaki still walked among the Jungles of Galahd, a ruler was chosen in times of hardship to lead all Clans to safety. This Ruler was chosen through the Trials of Kaitiaki though the exact process is not within my knowledge. The Storytellers would know more than I on the subject.”

“How fascinating.” Luna’s eyes sparkled with interest though it was quickly reigned in when she caught sight of Nyx and Libertus. “Ah... Umm... But how do those traps fit into this Trial?”

The Elder shrugged. “I do not know. All that I do know is that this cave that was unearthed once more is the Trial Grounds of Kaitiaki. Perhaps this is a sign from Kaitiaki that They are ready to walk among the Jungles once more.”

“Ramuh’s message...” Noctis muttered thoughtfully. He straightened after a few moments and proposed. “I received a message from Ramuh the day these Trial Grounds were discovered. I believe Ramuh is recommending a new Ruler be chosen.”

“That may be the case but who would be chosen to attempt these trials? If this is anything like the Trial Grounds of Gilgamesh then there is a high likelihood that whomever we send will die.” Gladio paced around the table.

Navalus shook his head. “I doubt it considering what Nyx and Libertus have just told us. Not to mention that Kaitiaki is a guardian of all life within Galahd. It would not make sense if their Trials caused the death of those who attempt it.”

“Which leaves the questions of who would go.” Ravus crossed his arms. “Would you attempt the Trials yourself, Noctis?” Noctis shook his head which caused Ravus to raise a brow. “And why not?”

“My family is tied to Bahamut; even if he decided I was no longer his Chosen, and I doubt a Guardian who survived the Astral War would appreciate an attempt from me.” Noctis explained. He could have sworn Elder Prudens’ lips twitched before they were able to control their expression. “I was going to ask for volunteers among the glaives and hunters.” His suggestion was greeted by nods from their group.

“In that case I volunteer.” Nyx said with a grin. Noctis raised a brow and Nyx replied to the silent question. “We weren’t prepared the first time around.”

“You mean you want to ‘defeat’ those traps,” Ravus deadpanned, though his eyes were amused. Nyx laughed as he shrugged. “I'll spread the word among the glaives. Gladio? If you could see if any hunters would be interested in dying multiple times within a time warping cave, it would be much appreciated.”

Gladio laughed, “Sure thing, Ravus. Though I think I’ll change the wording a bit when I do.” Ravus rolled his eyes as he left. Luna, Navalus and Elder Prudens followed soon after, leaving only Nyx and Libertus with the four men.

“Guess I’ll be going too.” Libertus sighed as he got up with a wince.

Ignis frowned, “It is purely voluntary, Libertus. You do not need to go if you do not wish to.”

A shrug. “Someone’s got to make sure a certain Hero doesn’t cause trouble.” Nyx shot Libertus a glare until the guy added, “Plus a few of the past Rulers have been Ostiums.”

“Well if you’re going, so am I.” Crowe crossed her arms, challenging any of them to disagree with her. Gladio grinned and brought his arms up in a gesture of surrender. With nothing else to discuss, the three glaives left to get some rest and ready themselves for the Trials.

Prompto watched them go and muttered, “So Pelna is going to go too, then.”

Ignis smiled, “Most likely. I would expect Miss Selena to volunteer as well.” Noctis buried his face into his arms as he groaned. This whole thing was going to be a mess no matter who went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you are all staying safe and sane during this pandemic! The first arc of Journey to Dawn is completely written so I will be updating once a week barring exceptional circumstances.
> 
> Please leave a kudo and/or a comment! I love to hear what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis didn't expect so many to volunteer to go through the Trials. Thank the Six he didn't have to choose among them!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are all staying safe and sane!

A week. It took a week to figure out who among the volunteers would attempt the Trial of Kaitiaki. After Gladio and Nyx had spread the word of their plans, almost a third of the Galahdians - glaives, hunters and civilians - had volunteered in the next 3 hours. 

Noctis had stared at the list presented by Elder Prudens for a full minute before collapsing on his desk with a drawn out groan. The Elder laughed, reached across the desk to pat the young king on his back. “Did you not expect such a response after hearing that the Trial served to choose a Ruler to guide Galahd?”

“No, I didn’t.” Noctis slumped further down in his chair. “We can’t send all of them into that cave! Even if they won’t die permanently, they’ll still die!”

“Which is why you will leave this situation to us.” Elder Prudens stated firmly, smiling as Noctis straightened with a confused look. “The Ruler’s candidates are chosen by merit and valour. There is a full moon in 3 days, on that night the Council of Elders will convene and choose the candidates as dictated by Kaitiaki’s legacy.” Then at the still confused expression on Noctis’s face, Elder Prudens added. “In other words, choosing who will attempt the Trial will be determined by us. You need only to worry about Niflheim’s attacks.”

Noctis opened and closed his mouth several times before he shook his head and sighed. “Thank you. I will leave his matter to you. Though I must ask, where will this council take place? If Niflheim catches wind of this then they may attack it.”

Elder Prudens had laughed and simply said, “They won’t. Thank you for your worries King Noctis but the Council cannot be disturbed by anything. Kaitiaki will see to it.”

Noctis had no idea how the candidates were ultimately chosen but had found out the name of the chosen ones two days after the Council had taken place. Nyx, Crowe, Libertus, Pelna, and Selena now stood at the edge of the clift leading to the cave with Ravus.

The sky above Cunabula was filled with approaching airships and the sounds of the full evacuation echoed behind them. “Of course they’d choose today to attack.” Grumbled Libertus before he turned to Ravus. “Do we forget about the Trial?”

“No.” Noct’s voice replied in Ravus’ stead. “We have enough glaives and hunters here to keep them at bay for a while. If we want to protect Galahd long term then we need Kaitiaki’s help.” He stared at each of the candidates in turn, pressing how important he thought getting a new Ruler was. “Your job is to go through the Trial and convince Kaitiaki to protect Galahd.”

Libertus and Pelna nodded wearily before they double checked their gear. Selena and Crowe were whispering to each other, both wearing similar expressions of glee. And Nyx shifted from one foot to the other, his eyes bouncing from the approaching army to Noctis and back. 

“It’ll be fine Nyx.” Noctis said. “At worst, I’ll use the Ring to protect everyone.” His hand raised to touch the necklace he always wore these days, the weight of its only adornment a reminder of what was expected of him. “So go on and try not to die this time around.” Nyx rolled his eyes at Noctis’ teasing, his posture relaxing slightly.

“Don’t speak so lightly of the Ring.” Ravus warned as he walked over to Noctis. “We both know the price for using such things.”

Noctis grimaced. “Better for me to pay it than to let innocents die.”

Ravus sighed, “I will tie you down and let Luna fret over you for a week if you do end up using it.”

“I can’t believe you’d use Luna as a threat.”

“It works, does it not?”

Noctis turned away with a pout rather than admit anything to Ravus. He watched the airships get closer. “The timing is too perfect to be a coincidence.” Noctis remarked. Ravus nodded as he started to formulate plans to deal with the airships. Noctis listened as the Commander of the Kingsglaive gave orders and received reports from the scouts. “This isn’t the first time Niflheim has timed an attack to coincide with civilian movements either….”

Ravus didn’t bother looking at Noctis as he said, “We expected them to have spies within the general population. I do not see why you’re so surprised.”

“Because a full quarter of their cannons are aimed at the cave entrance. They know that it's important.” Noctis pointed out. “We asked for volunteers but didn’t give any details on where the Trial was nor when the candidates would enter. Someone must have told them about it.”

Ravus frowned. “It could be due to the lack of survivors from their earlier scouting parties.” He ignored the incredulous look Noctis sent his way. “I’ll let the glaives know to try and capture some of the commanders alive for questioning if you insist.”

“Whatever reason you tell yourself Ray-ray.” Ravus choked at the use of his ridiculous nickname, shouting at Noctis as the King walked away cackling.

“Brat!”

“You act like it’s a surprise.” Nyx gave a lazy salute as he approached. “Everyone’s ready to go.”

Ravus made a mental note to get his revenge on Noctis once things had calmed down a bit before he nodded to Nyx. “I’ll accompany you down to the entrance then. (name of second in command), you’re in charge until I get back.”

The only way to reach the cave entrance without warping was by a small ledge that snaked down to just above it. Pelna slid onto the path first, clearing any pebbles or rocks that may cause trouble for those following him. Crowe, then Selena followed easily, still whispering about something or another. Libertus had more trouble as both his hatred of heights and body type made it hard to navigate the narrow path. Thankfully Nyx was right behind him, keeping him distracted from the height. 

Ravus dropped down beside Selena, his attention mostly on the airships growing ever nearer. They would soon be within firing range. He snapped his attention back to the candidate group. “You all know what Nyx and Libertus experienced in the Trial. This is your last chance to back out if you want.” He paused for a few seconds, eyes flicking from one person to the next but when no one spoke up or moved, Ravus sighed.

“I don’t know why I even bothered.”

“Cuz you care so much Commander.”

“Nyx.” The man grinned despite the glare. “Very well. You’re all forbidden from dying in there. And yes; you’re included Selena, so behave. Now go.” Ravus made a shooing motion with his hands, his attention returning to the airships as the familiar sound of missiles being ready to launch reached his ears. “Now!”

Without hesitation, Ravus threw his dagger behind him, warped to it then aimed a bolt of lightning at the closest airship. The explosion rattled everything and Ravus was forced to warp back down to the small ledge above the entrance as smoke clouded his vision. For a few precious seconds, the world was solid under his feet. Then it wasn’t.

“Ravus!” Several voices yelled his name as something exploded under his feet. His arms wheeled uselessly in the air as the entire cliff grumbled towards the sea. There was no time to aim. Barely any time to warp. Ravus did his best.

Noctis stared at the collapsing cliff where Ravus had been mere moments ago. He’d felt him warp but couldn’t see where he landed. Noctis didn’t have time to check on his friend as the Niflheim airfleet commenced their attack.

Countless missiles were sent towards the assembled Lucian and Galahdian army. Very few of them reached their targets.

Lightning flashed through the air. Glaives warped into mid-air.

And Noctis gritted his teeth as he called upon the armiger.

The battle of Cunabula had begun.

* * *

_They shifted in their sleep. A small movement but the first one in centuries. Discomfort flashed through a sleepy mind. _

_Was it time? Had Eos called for her Guardians once more?_

_ **It is not yet time but soon. Very soon.** _

_They shifted once more, eyes beginning to flutter open only to show smokey black eyes._

_No… Something is wrong… Death is walking among my lands._

_Movement beyond the veil of darkness. They recognize their Chosen Children._

_An order. A new one after so much silence._

_TEST THEM! LET THEM WALK THE PATH OF CLANS!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Candidates and Ravus make the most of their time within the Trial Grounds of Kaitiaki.

"Commander!" Hands propped Ravus up as he groaned. Something cool broke over his head and he suddenly realized what had happened.

"Shit!" Ravus jerked upright, almost hitting Selena on his way up. "That Ifrit-damned missile!" He twisted to look at what should have been a hole overlooking the ocean.

There was only a pile of broken rocks to greet him.

"You were lucky." Selena said as she extended a hand to him. "The blast dropped you straight down and out of the way of the rock slide." Ravus hung his head for a moment before he took her hand and got up.

There was no point trying to dig a way out just for Ravus. With another sigh, Ravus turned towards the group. Nyx grinned widely, "Guess that means you're along for the ride."

"So it would appear. Lead on."

Nyx shrugged and, after a look around, headed towards the Trial of Kaitiaki. The rest followed one by one with Ravus the last one in the line. The tunnels looked identical in the limited light they had but Nyx and Libertus weren't hesitating at each junction.

After a while of walking, Selena asked. "How long until we get to the deathless maze part?"

"Do you have to call it that?" Nyx scowled as he shot his sister an annoyed look.

Selena rolled her eyes. "Do you have a better name?" Silence. Selena smirked, "So… When are we getting to the deathless maze?"

Nyx groaned but Ravus recognized the exasperated yet amused undertone of an older brother. "Soon-ish. We passed where the dead body was a bit earlier so it shouldn't be long."

Selena looked all-too-pleased at the news as did Crowe. Ravus frowned and wondered just what the two ladies were planning. He knew it wouldn't be anything dangerous to the others but that didn't mean it was either sane or safe.

"Don't worry. Crowe just wants to see if she can figure out the spells used when someone is 'killed' and brought back." Pelna dropped back to walk beside Ravus. "Selena offered to be the guinea pig in return for some recipes Crowe hoards like a dragon." He clasped Ravus' shoulder with a reassuring smile.

The scream from Nyx a second later destroyed any hope Ravus had about convincing them not to go through with their plan. He helped Nyx get back to his feet and watched as Selena gleefully threw herself into the spiky wall of death while Crowe watched with magic gleaming from her hands.

"Really?" Nyx groaned as he rubbed his now-whole stomach. His glare said a lot more about his opinion of his sister's experiment.

Ravus shrugged. "It's not like they'll stop just because I ask them to." Selena cackled as she reappeared, eyes shining as she looked at Crowe, who nodded, before throwing herself back into the trap.

It took a while before Crowe finally gave an exasperated sigh. "That's enough, 'Lena."

Selena took a step back from the trap with a pout. "Already?" Then she grinned, "Did you figure it out?"

The question got everyone's attention away from their card game as Crowe shook her head and crossed her arms. "No." She frowned. "There's a least 15 overlaid spells with a dozen others creating some kind of looping spell but they're so similar in style that I can't tell where one ends and the other begins."

Nyx rose to his feet. "In other words, I just saw Selena die a couple hundred times for nothing?"

Crowe and Selena both winced. "Right... I should've asked Pelna or Libs rather than 'Lena, uh?"

"That would have been better." Nyx dodged Libs' elbow and ignored the outraged cry from Pelna.

Selena hugged Nyx, "Sorry."

Nyx sighed and returned the hug. "Just... Try not to get yourself killed? In here or anywhere else." Selena nodded.

"Well that won't be hard anymore." Crowe said. She paused then explained when she noticed the stares. "I can't figure out how to replicate the spells but I know how they feel so I'll be able to tell you where the traps are."

"So it wasn't a waste of time after all!" Pelna sighed as he finished packing the cards away. "Guess that makes you point for now."

Nyx grumbled, "Still shouldn't have been my Selena..." But didn't complain as Crowe took the lead beside him.

They continued on their way with no further mock casualties as Crowe pointed out the traps as they came across them. After a few hours, the group stopped to eat then continued on for a while longer before stopping again for the night.

Three days passed for them, though none could tell how long it had been outside of the Trial of Kaitiaki. Three days of rather boring tunnels, rations and repetitive games. More than once, Ravus wondered why Kaitiaki would have made the first Trial such a repetitive one. What was the point? He didn't figure it out before they found themselves at the entrance of a huge cavern.

"This could fit Lestallum and still have plenty of space." Pelna whistled at the sight. Light from an unseen source reflected off the crystals that emerged from the walls and floor. The sound of running water echoed through the great empty space, hiding its source from sight.

"Wait. Over there!" Ravus pointed to their right. "Are those...buildings?" Nyx frowned, extended a hand and shot a bolt of lightning right above the deeper shadows Ravus was pointing at.

"Nyx!"

Nyx shrugged, "What? It worked and I didn't hit anything." Libertus facepalmed. Nyx glared at him.

Ravus sighed, "Are we the only ones that aren't crazy?"

"Probably." Pelna shrugged. "Let's leave the crazy ones behind and head over." Ravus laughed as four distinct voices called out in protest from behind them.

Ignoring them, Pelna and Ravus walked towards the ruins. Crumbled walls marked the location of homes while broken objects hinted at what kind of place this had been. Clay tablets held records in a language Ravus couldn't recognize but that made Pelna's eyes light up excitedly.

"That's Galadhian Runic!" He gushed, dropping down to examine a tablet closer. "...That's… I found something!" He called out moments later. The rest of their group gathered around quickly.

"What's up, Pel?"

Pelna waved the tablet in the air, "The records on here tell of past Trials. Listen to this: _On the fifth crescent moon, the Candidates entered the Haurio. 3 arrived to the Temple to offer their Prayers. _The rest is broken."

"A Temple?" Selena frowned as she looked around. "Are we supposed to find it and offer a prayer?"

Pelna looked through several more broken tablets before he answered. "Likely but I'm not sure if a prayer is the thing to offer. The rune they used indicates an offering of some kind but either the precise offering was common knowledge back then or it was marked somewhere else and might have been destroyed."

Ravus tapped his fingers against his crossed arms. Offerings were common in rituals and ceremonies, though the exact nature of the offerings was dependent upon each receiver. He closed his eyes and thought of all the rituals and ceremonies he'd seen or had taken part in. Of all the offerings involved.

He snapped his fingers suddenly, "That's it!"

"What, Ignis?" Crowe growled, then blushed. "Sorry, Commander."

Ravus chuckled, "No harm done. As I was about to say, I believe I may know what the offering should be."

Nyx raised a brow. "What will it be?"

Ravus smiled, "Snow and ice, both of which are rare in Galahd, correct?" Nyx nodded. "Offerings are often complementary to the deity worshipped. For example, the flowers of Altissia are an offering to Leviathan."

"Make sense, I guess," Pelna said as he rose. He looked around, "Now that we know that, let us find the temple."

They split up to search for any hints of this temple. Selena and Nyx headed towards the highest ruins, hoping that it was the temple or that they would be able to see it from the highest point. Pelna and Ravus headed towards the middle of the ruins, thinking that such an important location would serve as a meeting place for anyone living around there. Libertus grabbed a stick, let it go then went in the direction it was pointing towards with Crowe.

Half an hour passed without anyone finding any traces of a place of worship and Ravus had started wondering if they had missed something. Leaving Pelna to continue on the search, he headed back towards the entrance of the ruins with deliberate slowness. He searched through the sides of the path carefully until he found what he was looking for.

A broken post lay buried under dirt and rocks. On one end was the remains of a sign; the runes on it unreadable to Ravus. He was too far away to simply shout his discovery to Pelna so he broke the rotten wood under the sign and retraced his steps back to his companion.

"Hey Pelna, can you translate what this says?" Ravus asked as soon as he came into view. Pelna nodded and reached out to start translating. After a few moments, Pelna turned to Ravus with an exasperated expression. Ravus grinned as he shrugged. "Come on. Let's grab the others and get to this temple already."

It didn't take long for them to round up the others and retrace their steps to where Ravus had found the sign. Selena quickly found the mostly invisible remains of what used to be a road as the others followed her carefully. Even with the light conjured up by Ravus and Crowe, the cavern was dark and foreboding.

The path wound between stalactites of enormous dimension, upon which they found other traces of the inhabitants of the underground town. Some of the inscriptions were silly things that Ravus expected had been written by teenagers – who else would write that they were there and who banged who? - and others drew their attention.

"What do you think this means? '_Light will bring it to life but Darkness will kill it_'," Pelna said as he got up after reading the barely-there carving at the base of the stairs.

"Sounds like a passage from the Cosmogony." Ravus remarked. "Such confusing passages often refer to something ordinary that the author simply wanted to make more extraordinary."

"Like the Prophecy?" Nyx waited by the doors, large and made of some kind of white material that he suspected was bone, though he had no idea what might have bones large enough to make the doors in the first place.

Ravus nodded grimly. "Like the Prophecy."

Selena shrugged, "Should we try to figure what it might mean before we go in?"

"Nah," Nyx swung an arm around her. "It's not very prominent so it shouldn't be important to the Trials."

Ravus, Pelna, Libertus and Crowe shared disbelieving looks but they weren't able to say anything before Nyx pushed the door open with one hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses on what the riddle means? XD
> 
> Thanks for reading and please leave a comment!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx warped behind a crumbled wall, his chest heaving in a vain attempt to catch his breath. Blood trickled down his cheek in a steady stream. His whole body shook in exhaustion, pain, and fear. The ruins of a town lay all around him. Niflheim airships further darkened the already-dark sky as daemons and beasts howled for blood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very graphic chapter with description of war-related horrors. If this squicks or bothers you in any way, please skip to the following section. “Giant white coeurls surrounded Nyx...” The next few chapters will be more graphic then usual so please skip to the suggested part and/or the end notes.
> 
> I have updated the warnings as well.

Nyx warped behind a crumbled wall, his chest heaving in a vain attempt to catch his breath. Blood trickled down his cheek in a steady stream. His whole body shook in exhaustion, pain, and fear. The ruins of a town lay all around him. Niflheim airships further darkened the already-dark sky as daemons and beasts howled for blood.

Soldiers marched through every destroyed street, searched every ruined home, and checked every dead body leaving Nyx scrambling to stay out of their sight. Corpses, civilian and glaives alike, were sprawled everywhere. He hadn’t been able to try to identify any of the glaives during his flight to safety, but the sheer amount of corpses in Kingsglaive uniform made him wonder if he might be the only survivor of the unit.

The thought wasn’t something he wanted to even consider, but Nyx would not run away from the truth either. If there was no one left alive then he would find his King and protect him to his dying breath.

Still....

Nyx was determined to not give up hope until he’d scoured the town completely in search of a survivor.

The steady stomps of boots on blood soaked ground resounded all around Nyx, ticking down the time he had to escape with his life. He would not die here, he couldn’t.

Not without taking revenge for everyone who didn't survive. <strike>Why was he the only apparent survivor?</strike>

Not without before returning to his King. <strike>This was a nightmare. It had to be.</strike>

Nyx was the hero of the Kingsglaive. <strike>Why was he always surviving impossible situations?</strike>

Those who died would not have done so in vain. <strike>It was the only thing he could do for them. Survive.</strike>

Pushing away the pain and exhaustion, Nyx looked around for a way out. The rooftops were out of the question with the bright lights from the airships illuminating them. The streets would be more discreet but it would mean not using his warping abilities to remain unseen. <strike>He was forgetting something but what?</strike>

Nyx wiped the blood from his eyes, peeked around the corner of the wall and ran as soon as he saw his chance. His boots, already blood-soaked and ripped from the fight, slid on the muddy ground and he had to slide to cover as he lost his footing over something solid.

As he caught his breath, straining to hear if the soldiers had seen him and were coming, Nyx glanced over to see what had tripped him.

He slammed a hand over his mouth to stifle the scream threatening to escape. Libertus’ dead eyes stared back from the bodiless head he’d become. Nyx bit his lip as hard as he could <strike>a nightmare this had to be a nightmare</strike> as he jerked his gaze away.

Nyx couldn’t allow this to break him. <strike>He was already broken.</strike> He had to continue on.

There was no choice.

He sent a quick prayer to Libertus’ spirit, asking him forgiveness for being unable to give him a proper burial, before hurrying onwards. He’d come back with reinforcements and force those bastards to dig graves for their victims then themselves. It was a promise, Libs. No! No! No! This was all wrong! <strike>He should have died! Not Libs!</strike>

Scurrying from one hiding spot to the next like a rat, burying himself in mud to avoid detection and fighting against the urge to murder every Niff that crossed his sight exhausted Nyx more and more. Hiding away had <strike>No! Stop!</strike> allowed him to identify some of the bodies on his path to the Tower. <strike>When had it appeared?</strike>

Crowe. <strike>burnt stumps in place of hands</strike> had been hung from a rafter while the jeering Niflheim commanders laughed. Pelna <strike>no eyes at all</strike> had been used as target practice. Luche <strike>torn then sewn together again</strike> had suffered at the hands of the Niflheim scientist until Nyx drove his kukris through his deamonized corpse. Selena <strike>mangled beyond recognition</strike> had been fed to beasts. Tredd, Axis, Ravus. All dead because of those bastards who believed themselves the rulers of Eos. <strike>Damn them! They’ll pay for it! I’ll kill them all!</strike>

As Nyx ducked into a partially-burnt house, he heard a deep growl from the shadows. He held his breath as several pairs of golden eyes stared at him.

Coeurls!

Giant coeurls of every possible colour surrounded Nyx, their golden eyes unblinkingly watching him from the various perches created by the damage of the attack. He slowly moved his foot back, ready to run at the slightest indication the coeurls were hungry.

A second slow step caused the coeurls to rise up, all of them moving as a single being. <strike>Coeurls? He had been doing something concerning coeurls hadn’t he?</strike> Nyx shivered as the gaze went from watching to feral within a blink of his eyes.

No time to worry about the soldiers.

Nyx warped across the street, the roar of a Hunt echoing behind him, spurring him to run without restraint. He warped, then warped again, and again, until he stumbled straight into stasis with no distance having been gained from the hunting coeurls. Lightning still stung his heels as he swung over a wall in a desperate attempt to dodge one of them. <strike>Where were the soldiers? The airships? The bodies?</strike>

Nyx scrambled back to his feet, “Shit! Shit! Shit!” Claws scraped by his head, forcing him to warp again. A glance at his destination showed he was halfway there. <strike>Crowe? Libs? Pelna? Selena?</strike>

He could do this!

Nyx dodged the next attack and jumped through the open doorway, slamming the door closed just in time. It would buy him some time but not much. Determined to make the most of it, Nyx reached into his anger, grabbing every thread of energy it gave him and moved. From one door to the other, closing each one with a final slam, Nyx rushed to the Tower as lightning struck it repeatedly.

The door was right within his reach.

Nyx felt a hot breath against his neck then sharp overwhelming pain.

* * *

Noctis dodged the missiles, mentally swearing at the sudden disappearance of Ravus after the ledge collapsed. Between the sudden appearance of Niflheim’s airforce and the apparent collapse of the Trial grounds trapping the candidates and Ravus, he was not having a good morning. With a click of his tongue, Noctis gave his orders to the Kingsglaives and Hunters.

“Evacuation teams! Concentrate on getting the civilians out of Cunabula. The rest of you, we’re going to keep Niflheim from approaching the coast any further! Stay alive!”

Gladio was there as Noctis warped to the ground to escape another missile, his shield taking the hit and giving Noctis the time he needed to aim his next strike. “Don’t get carried away Noct!” He warned even as his charge disappeared to reappear on top of a smaller carrier approaching the coast.

“Don’t worry! I’ve got his back!” Prompto’s voice was accompanied by several gunshots as he rushed forward to keep Noctis in sight. Gladio grumbled at their recklessness but, knowing they’d take care of each other, turned to focus and shoring up their defences.

Already the mages were starting some of the large area spells. “Aran! Take your team and set up walls to protect the mages! Aurora! Mateo! Fabian! Take your teams and spread out along the coast! Don’t let any of the ships slip past us!” Order after order was sent out as more ships sent out their carriers, ready to drop off the army of soldiers waiting within.

The sky was already filled with warping bodies doing their best to take down the invaders before they could reach their families and friends. Lightning flashed through the foggy sky, illuminating the growing fog with the shadows of countless airships.

Noctis dropped back beside Prompto, swearing wildly as he watched his last lightning flask explode on top of an airship, destroying some of its missile launchers and guns but not taking it down. “Ifrit’s ass! They must have reinforced the hulls somehow!”

Prompto didn’t answer as he pulled the trigger three times in rapid succession. Three explosions rocked the side of the nearest carrier, sending it tumbling down into the raging ocean beneath. “They probably isolated the engine too, otherwise your flasks should have done more damage than that.” They jumped apart as gunfire targeted them, Prompto reacting quickly to kill the gunman as he shouted, “Get back to Gladio and help the mages! They’ll need to boost.”

Noctis nodded and threw his Engine Blade towards the mages, reaching them in a few seconds. The air around them thrummed with the combined magical powers of a dozen mages. Around his neck, a frigid cold started to spread as the Ring reacted to the combined magic. Noctis reached out and grabbed the ring, contemplating for a brief moment slipping the Ring on only to dismiss the idea.

The strongest Mage King in ten generations took a deep breath and reached out to the nearest mage. Their magic, derived from his own, resonated with him. The air around them turned blue as the very air they breathed became charged with magic. The considerable magic in the air increased tenfold as Noctis linked each mage to each other and himself.

The spell was invoked moments later, the magic rushing outwards in a wall of fire and energy. The air trembled with the force of the explosion as it blasted away everything in a half-mile radius. Exhausted by the effort, Noctis dropped to a knee and looked at the suddenly clear sky.

The Sublimis Fuga filled the sky with its immense presence, surrounded by countless airships looking like bees buzzing around their queen. “Shit.... This is going to be a pain to deal with.” Noctis groaned as he pushed himself back up and summoned his blade. The battle had barely started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if you would prefer a summary of the chapter in the end notes so if that's something you'd like for the next few chapters then please let me know!  
Thank you for all the comments and kudos :) Please continue to leave them!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crowe and Libertus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: Allusions of suicide, slightly gory imagery --> Crowe's part. Skip to "Everyone died here..."

The view was calming. Waves crashed at the bottom of the cliff in a steady tempo that reminded Crowe of a heartbeat. The deep blue sky spread ahead and in front of her, merging seamlessly into the ocean at some point on the horizon. The salty air was heavy with moisture and the iron of blood. <strike>She knew this place.</strike>

Birds were gliding effortlessly on the winds, occasionally plunging into the ocean to fetch their dinner with an excited call. Some reappeared with food <strike>a human arm, fingers, never any fish</strike> while others took back to the sky without having found anything. Crowe stretched her arms above her head as she kicked her heels on the rocks.

Her hands sunk back into the stream of blood surrounding her, flowing over her legs as it dripped off the cliff drop by drop. <strike>Why? Why was there so much blood? Where were the others?</strike> Part of her wanted to turn around and see where it all came from and yet she didn’t. Why would she? It was only blood. It probably came from hunters cleaning their catch upstream. <strike>NO! There was too much of it! The blood was too warm! Why????</strike>

A voice caught her attention. “Crowe! There you are. We’ve been looking for you.” A bird hovered right in front of her, beating its wings steadily to stay right there, looking straight at her. “It’s time to come home, Firecracker. Come on now before night falls.” <strike>Mom? Is that you?</strike>

Crowe tilted her head slightly to one side, the fog growing in her mind, growing as she tried to place why the voice was so familiar. A second bird moved to fly beside the first one. It opened its beak, another voice joining in. “Look at you! You’re covered in mud. Were you playing with your brothers again?” <strike>Mama? No… They’re dead.</strike>

“Hey Crowe! Come on already! Libs and I are waiting. You’ve got to hurry up and join us.” Another bird flocked to the duo, the voice recognized instantly as Nyx’s. Crowe stopped rocking her legs and straightened. Well if Nyx was saying she should go ahead then it would be ok, right? Nyx and Libs would never steer her wrong. <strike>It’s not them! Don’t listen to them!</strike>

A fourth bird wafted down to land beside Crowe, its beak grooming her <strike>ruffling her hair like Libs does when he’s being a pain</strike> for a bit before it, too, spoke. “It’s fine Crowe, you don’t have to do anything big. Just push a little and you’ll be flying with us. That’s one of your dreams ain’t it? To fly as free as a bird?” Libertus’ voice was so confident, so caring.

Crowe put her feet flat against the cliff side, her arms tensing as she leaned forward a bit. Waves crashed against the giant boulders beneath her.<strike>No! No! No! This was wrong! I know this place!</strike>

<strike> **Everyone died here...** </strike>

Crowe closed her eyes tightly, her breath stuttering as she clung tightly to that thought. Slowly she found herself questioning more and more of her surroundings. She knew it, had lived at the edge of this cliff for most of her childhood until the Storm.

A storm that had ravaged all of Galahd and sent this very cliff, along with close to 1km of land and the town within that distance, crashing down in a terrible mudslide. Crowe had been forced to crawl her way out of the mud and rocks, over the remains of her family, friends and neighbours.

Her hands twitched in half-remembered pain and she found herself checking that her nails were still intact. Crowe sighed in relief. It was only memories, nothing more than bad memories that she wouldn’t dwell on.

The birds still called to her but Crowe paid them no mind. She had to find It. That place was important.<strike>Why? Where were her friends? She’d been with them moments ago. Hadn’t she</strike>? Crowe looked around until her gaze found the Tower. Lightning struck it several times in quick succession before there was a long pause before it repeated.

That was her goal. <strike>The Tower... It looked familiar but where had she seen it?</strike>

Crowe gathered her magic in the palm of her hand and threw it behind her. The smell of burning birds was quickly chased away by the refreshing seaside breeze. “Now to find out why I’m here,” Crowe muttered as she took her first steps into the jungle. <strike>She knew why she was there so why couldn’t she remember the words?</strike>

The jungle was thick with humidity and Crowe enjoyed the taste of it on her tongue as she made her way deeper into it. Brightly-coloured fruits joined brightly-coloured birds among the low-hanging branches and tree tops. <strike>She remembered the sweetness of biting into a ripe orange. The stickiness of its juices all over her hands.</strike> The jungle was vibrant with noises just as she remembered it.

All exactly the same.

Except for the Tower.

Somehow, Crowe could see it through the thick canopy of branches and vines. She never lost track of it despite not being able to see the sky as she tossed vines out of the way. It stood, being struck by lightning again and again, high above everything else but also smaller than the tallest tree. <strike>That shouldn’t be possible. It was a contradiction. But she knew it was both true. Where was she?</strike>

It never seemed to get any closer either. It towered above Crowe regardless of how far she walked towards it. “Ifrit’s balls…. Maybe I need to warp to it?” She whispered to herself, wiping the sweat from her brow. The jungle was too thick to warp properly so she would need to get up higher and move from treetop to treetop.

Crowe grasped the first branch, testing its strength before actually putting her weight on it. she climbed, slowly and carefully through the foliage. Then, as she reached up to grab the next branch, her hand brushed against something soft and furry. She looked up.

The coeurl jumped down, whiskers crackling with lightning.

* * *

Libertus hummed to himself as he wiped the glass clean and put it to dry on the counter. The oven timer ticked down the minutes until his roast was done and ready to be divided for the evening rush, one he expected would be double what their little bar usually received. He could hear Nyx’s laughter from the front as he talked with some of their regulars about the festival and the latest gossip.

Sometimes, Libertus thought his friend gossiped more than the little old ladies that gathered every morning in the village market to talk. The radio suddenly crackled with static. Libertus frowned and reached out to smack it. It stopped, went silent for a few seconds before the static returned louder this time. “Stupid thing.” _Smack_. “Why is it not working? If that moron bought a defective one I’m going to strangle him.” _Smack, smack, smack, crack._ “Shit!”

Libertus swore wildly as the radio suddenly cracked, sending sparks flying out until he was able to yank the plug out of the wall. The silence didn’t last long as his oven timer started beeping, jerking Libertus out of his angry rant in order to save his precious roast. <strike>Nyx should have been back here laughing at him.</strike>

The roast now out of the oven and cooling, Libertus grabbed the radio and headed out into the bar with the intention of chucking the damn thing at Nyx’s head and telling his idiotic best friend to buy another one. One that worked! “Oy Nyx!” Libertus pushed the swinging doors open with one hand, half listening to the conversations and laughter that would greet him as soon as he walked in.

The bar was empty.

Libertus paused, eyes darting from side to side with a growing frown. He could hear Nyx, Tredd and that annoying hunter that was always trying to recruit Nyx, chatting merrily from somewhere but they weren’t in the bar. Their prized bar, with the 50 bottles of liqueur and dozen tables packed tight, was empty of ife. Even the lights above the bar top were dark. <strike>Had Nyx gotten into a fight again? Libs was going to throttle him himself if that was the case.</strike>

He dropped the broken radio on one of the tables and headed out to drag Nyx back in before the rush started. The door of their bar, worn smooth by countless hands pushing it open, fought against his touch for a few moments before it swung open with a groan. Libertus frowned, did it need to be oiled? Hadn’t Nyx done so a couple of days ago? <strike>Nyx had. Libertus remembered him trying to clean the mess up when the can spilled.</strike>

Libertus added it to his growing mental list of “Things Nyx has to do” and stepped through the door. He took a deep breath, ready to tear into Nyx only for his breath to catch in his throat. It felt like he’d been plunged into a cold bath.

The streets, decorated from the festival with lanterns, ribbons, and artful beasts, were as empty as the bar had been. Libertus took a few steps forward, eyes darting from one side to the other in search of anyone. <strike>He could still hear them! Why? Where were they?</strike> The streets remained empty of life even as Libertus heard Crowe’s voice telling a crude joke then laughing with others at the punchline.

His heart pounding in his chest, Libertus hurried towards them. At first he walked, turning each corner with the expectation of seeing them there, ready to laugh at Libertus for his worry. Then he started jogging, his eyes glancing into each house, each store in a desperate search for a sign -any sign- that someone else was around. 

They were all empty.

Libertus screamed, “Nyx! Crowe! Pelna! Answer me!” The voices grew louder, less distinct, as Libertus approached the market place. Voices, both familiar and unfamiliar, spoke and laughed. He caught words here and there, speaking of the festival, of the village, of Galahd. Still he saw no one.

Then a scream. 

Piercing and terrified, it lasted just long enough for Libertus to realise what direction it was coming from <strike>The official entrance of their home, guarded at all times by retired hunters to deter beasts.</strike> before it cut out, plunging everything into a bone chilling silence. Libertus stumbled to a stop.

More screams erupted, surrounding Libertus with pleas, curses and shouts. 

“Libs! Run!” Nyx’s voice said from the other side of the wall.

“Help, Libs!” Crowe’s plea came from behind him.

Pelna’s voice mixed with Tredd’s furious scream. “We’re under attack! Where’s Libs? Why isn’t he helping?”

“Coward!” “Betrayer!” “Clan traitor!”

Libertus stumbled to his knees, slamming his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to quiet the voices. It does nothing to help. The screams got louder, mixing together into an incoherent stream of sound.

Blood splashed against him, an invisible warmth that broke Libertus. <strike>Blood! So much blood! The Lucis King fighting against soldiers. Bodies of friends, of family drenching their ancestral home with their life.</strike>

Libertus ran, magic flaring at his fingertips. Lightning and fire destroying everything around him. He only had one thought in his mind. **Revenge.** He turned a corner.

7 coeurls blocked his path, their whiskers soaked in blood. 

Libertus never saw the 8th.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please leave a comment and kudo!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pelna is not amused.  
Selena has a job to do.

The waves were calm, gently lapping at the beach. The sky was a brilliant blue with only a few lazy clouds floating in its embrace. The fishing boats were bobbing on top of the ocean, coming in and out view with calm regularity. <strike>We were underground. The eastern coast near Cunabula was under attack. The sky is never this shade of blue.</strike>

Pelna ran his fingers over the net carefully, stopping every so often to mend a spot with precise movements. <strike>He hadn’t been a fisherman in years, close to a decade.</strike> His boat beaconed him as did the bright morning sun, calling for him to start his day on the sea. <strike>Wrong spot to fish. Sail isn’t properly hung. No one else on the beach.</strike>

Voices called to him from the far away ships, some he recognized but others that he didn’t. <strike>Sound doesn’t echo on the cliffs. Crowe’s speech pattern is diff</strike>erent. Libertus hates sailing; he gets seasick easily. Pelna sighed, dropping the net unto the warm sandy beach. “Really? If you’re going to go through all of that trouble to make this kind of elaborate illusion, at least try to get the details right.” He said out loud, ignoring the calls from the sea.

Well, at least that answered the importance of that riddle on the way into the Temple. 

Pelna took a few moments to look around him, simply taking in the vast illusion of his favourite beach before he turned his back to it. A small path wound its way through the rocks and up into the thick jungle. Somewhere beyond it was the Tower and its lightning. 

“It's not a perfect illusion, but I thank you for allowing me to see such a sight once more.” Pelna smiled as he closed his eyes to enjoy the warmth of the sun before he plunged into the jungle with casual ease. The path was easy to follow even amidst the thick foliage. Trees were often just out of the way enough to create a somewhat straight path and the vines merely brushed against his shoulders as he moved.

It was a pleasant walk. The air was humid but not suffocating. The birds wove a delightful melody that Pelna half recognized as an old Galahdian war song. He found himself humming along with them, learning the unrecognized parts quickly enough. There was magic in the melody, something Pelna had tasted as a child then had forgotten.

He wondered if some of the other songs his aunts used to sing held magic as well. A growl interrupted his thoughts and brought Pelna to a halt. A coeurl, golden eyes narrowed on him, pounced from a tree.

Pelna didn’t move or flinch.

The coeurl landed behind him without leaving a mark on Pelna. The coeurl growled again, the sound pitching up and down like laughter. Pelna tilted his head back just enough to shoot the coeurl a smile before he continued on his way.

He’d only taken two steps before another growl joined the first. Pelna sighed, his shoulders dropping but he stopped in his tracks and waited. A coeurl, bigger than the first but with the same unusual golden eyes, appeared from behind a tree and stalked towards Pelna. Its whiskers crackled with power.

The coeurl stopped right in front of Pelna, its growl growing more menacing until it whipped its whiskers straight at his face. Lightning struck an inch from his face, blinding and deafening him for several minutes.

But he still didn’t move or flinch, merely blinking his eyes rapidly until his sight returned.

Pelna was greeted by a rough tongue licking him from lip to forehead before the coeurl joined the other behind him. He sighed, wiping his face off with his sleeve. He turned to watch the duo with a raised brow. “Am I going to get tested every step of the way?” He might have rethought his candidature had he known it would involve being licked by giant cats.

The coeurls gave a series of barking growls before they both approached him and started pushing him forward. Pelna raised his hands in surrender, twirling on his heels to continue on his way. “Ok, ok. No need to be pushy. I’m going, see?”

Again and again, coeurls appeared in his way. Each attacked him or tested him in some way. Some simply shot lightning in his face. Others pushed trees or branches down on his head. Others still pounced on him from all directions. By the time he’d reached the Tower, Pelna had a few dozen coeurls pushing him around, talking to each other, and most annoyingly for Pelna; laughing at him.

Still, it wasn’t as bad as trying to corral a drunken Crowe and Nyx after a rough battle. At least these coeurls had enough sense not to get lost or expect Pelna to shower with them. A coeurl butted his lower back, making him stumble forward and into a large clearing.

The Tower towered over him, its tip lost among the lightning web that emerged from it. A staircase wound itself around it in an endless spiral. “I am not climbing that!” Pelna put his hands on his hips, glaring at the Tower in outrage. 

Coeurls streamed around him, all jumping onto the stairs, running up until they stopped one by one in different spots. Pelna frowned as he followed them with his eyes. The smallest of the coeurls sat at the bottom of the stairs while the bigger ones were higher up. He tilted his head to one side then to the other before he buried his head in his hands.

“Another test? How many are there?” Pelna whined and walked up to the smooth surface of the Tower. There were marks there, cracks that criss crossed over each other in a complexe system with no apparent beginning or end. Taking one last look at the coeurls, bearing the gaze of dozens of them all at once; Pelna hummed the song under his breath as he brushed his fingers in a branching pattern.

The Tower glowed under his touch until a door took shape. Pelna took a deep breath.

And walked in.

* * *

Selena skipped ahead of Nyx and her mom, her hands full with a basket of fruits. It was a pretty nice morning, even better by the fact that her mom had arrived quite late -perhaps it would be better to say very early- after a date with Selena’s new teacher. The King of Lucis and his retinue had arrived a week earlier, bringing with their arrival an air of festivity.

Selena turned the corner unto their street, half listening to the bickering of Nyx and her mom. She started jogging towards home, her mind whirling with ideas for pies, jams, and delicious snacks. She pushed open the door and turned to shout at her family to hurry up.

The road exploded in flames, her mother’s laughter cut abruptly short as the explosion threw her deeper into her home. Her ears rang with a shrill sound. Her vision swam, doubling and blurring as she pushed herself back to her feet. “Mom! Nyx!” She stumbled back towards the doorway frantically.

The road was covered in fire and great lumbering soldiers. Human-shaped figures screaming in agony writhed on the ground or stumbled helplessly around even as the Niflheim soldiers fired at them. <strike>Wrong. The attack hadn’t been as sudden. It hadn’t started with a bombing.</strike>

Selena stifled a cry as she saw Nyx, blood pouring out of a gut wound, <strike>He’s fine and alive. I saw him not long ago.</strike> as he crawled towards her, a hand outstretched in a silent plea for help. Selena stayed within the shadows of the entrance of what had once been her home, tears silently running down her face.

She did not go to him. <strike>Nyx… I’m sorry! I’m sorry!</strike><strike></strike>

She watched as Nyx was executed by a soldier, another death among dozens.

Hiding among what had once been her home, Selena waited until the soldiers had moved on <strike>charred bodies on the muddy ground</strike> before she started running. She couldn’t save any of her family, friends or neighbours but she might still be able to warn other villages.

She had to be able to save them! <strike>She would save them. There was no if. Only the knowledge that her warning might make the difference between life and death for her people.</strike>

And so she ran, leaving the relentless fires be the only funeral pyre for the lives lost at Niflheim’s hands. Leaving everything she knew behind for the chance of warning others before it was too late.

The jungle welcomed her into its embrace, its green foliage cutting off the terrible sight of the fire. Selena didn’t hesitate as she left the well-worn path that most travellers used. It was too exposed, too well known for her to use. Not to mention that it was not the fastest nor the most direct path to where she had to go.

No, to warn the others before Niflheim moved on she would need to get to the Tower. <strike>Tower? Was it the signal tower in Monitum?</strike> It was the only way to do so in time.

Selena pushed aside the thick vines, eyes and ears straining to keep her safe. The daylight streamed through the jungle in green-tinged ribbons that deepened shadows and highlighted the colourful flowers that co-existed within the jungle. She saw a shadow shift in the corner of her eye and stilled.

A coeurl stalked out, whiskers waving with every step. It stopped for several moments, its nose rising to smell the air, as it turned its head side to side as though searching for something. <strike>Something was off with the coeurl. Its eyes…</strike>

Selena watched and waited, staying as still as she could, for the coeurl to move away. She knew she was downwind of it, knew the shadows cast by the vines and trees would make her invisible to the beast. All she had to do was wait.

She lost track of time as she waited motionless for the coeurl to leave and then for it to have moved far enough that it would not hear her. She didn’t know if it had been an hour or mere minutes, only that Selena had to hurry if she wanted to save the people of Galahd.

Taking a quick inventory of what she had available, Selena decided that she had to move quickly but quietly as though hunting a fleeing seadevil back to its nest. She could do it. <strike>She had to do it.</strike> Mind set and holding a hunter’s knife, <strike>When had she gotten the knife? No matter it would only help.</strike> Selena started running.

Over fallen trees and rustling brooks. Dodging the giant bees buzzing about the flowers in a clearing. Ignoring the steady _thump thump thump_ of her heart and the paws chasing after her. There were a dozen or so, running in graceful lunges that travelled greater distances than her own.

Coeurls in the midst of a hunt with her as their prey. <strike>Don’t look back. Keep running. Warning the others was too important to fail.</strike> Selena used every trick she knew, every shortcut and practiced moves taught to her by her brother and father, by the hunters that now feed the ground. 

She wove through the fallen branches and logs. Threw herself forward to roll back to her feet without losing momentum over obstacles. Every step she took was a step closer to saving a life. <strike>Why weren’t the coeurls attacking? Were they...escorting her?</strike><strike></strike>

The Tower appeared, beckoning her with an open door and the promise of safety.

Selena threw herself in, panting as the door closed behind her with a decisive slam. The coeurls howled from outside the Tower, announcing her escape to all who understood them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing Pelna's part. I have an image of him being very clear minded in any situation. It comes in handy in odd situations. Selena is also fun to write but for different reasons. She has so much potential so its nice to make her very community minded.
> 
> I haven't been able to write much between the Pandemic lockdown and health issues flaring up so I may need to take another break between the first arc and starting to post the second arc.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The breeze was cold but refreshing as it rustled the leaves above and turned the sylleblossom field into an ocean of waves. Ravus finished his flower crown with a satisfied grin before getting up. He still had a few minutes before he needed to head over to the Third Ceremonial Clearing for a walk with his family and their guests.

The breeze was cold but refreshing as it rustled the leaves above and turned the sylleblossom field into an ocean of waves. Ravus finished his flower crown with a satisfied grin before getting up. He still had a few minutes before he needed to head over to the Third Ceremonial Clearing for a walk with his family and their guests.

Prince Noctis was healing nicely from what he could understand, and would only need another week or so of treatments before the Scourge would be nothing more than a bad memory. Ravus looked forward to the end of the healing since it would mean he would be able to help with the physiotherapy. "Your Highness!" One of the servants called out in a reminder of the time.

Ravus smiled at the sylleblossom crown and headed over. He did enjoy the walks with King Regis and Prince Noctis. The King was happy to answer Ravus' questions on any number of subjects, from ruling a country to the plot of an enjoyable movie, and it made the time pass by quite quickly.

As he waved at his mother, Ravus noticed that neither Lunafreya nor their guests of honor were there yet, although their guards were standing at attention. His mother chuckled, reaching out to readjust his cape on his shoulders as she whispered to him. "Lunafreya insisted on going to fetch our guests. They should be arriving soon." Ravus nodded and hid his intended gift in the folds of his cape.

He barely had time to do so before he heard Lunafreya and Prince Noctis' laughter approaching. He turned towards them. Smiled as King Regis walked towards them.

The sky darkened as the breeze turned into strong gusts of sharp wind. A low rumbling sound caused Ravus to look up. His breath caught as the sky filled with magitek airships whose sides were opening one after one to reveal dark shapes illuminated only by a low red light. He knew what was coming. He had seen it happen countless times in his nightmares. Why was this happening again?

Ravus couldn't move as the first soldiers dropped through the air, gunfire sending the staff running while their guards moved to confront the invaders. He looked around, frantically trying to find his mother and sister among the growing chaos. Someone stumbled into him. Bodies fell all around him as more gunfire shook the air.

A flash of burning pain.

Ravus found himself pushing himself up to his knees, not remembering how he'd fallen. His left arm burning and freezing at the same time. The flash of metal had him turning around. A soldier, its metal face unmoving and uncaring, stood there. Its arm rose to point at him even as it opened to reveal a barrel and a flame.

His mother appeared between them. Her arms outstretched in order to protect him.

Time stopped.

A coeurl with golden eyes stood perched on a branch above the chaos. It met Ravus' gaze with intelligent eyes.

_And he remembered. Ravus remembered the invasion of Tenebrae. He remembered his mother's death as she stood between him and Glauca. He remembered the time spent in the cruel and torturous care of Niflheim. His and Luna's rescue by the Argentums. Their recovery in Insomnia. The years of fighting and living with the Kingsglaive. The proposed peace talk which revealed itself to be Niflheim's treasonous plot to take Insomnia._

_Ravus remembered waking up with a new artificial arm and helping Noctis as they fought against Niflheim. He remembered coming to Galahd after the disastrous attempt to form a covenant with Leviathan. The Trial ground found after the collapse of the cliff. The attack on their forces as candidates entered the grounds to find _Kaitiaki _and ask for help. Falling into the Trial and finding the Temple._

_Nyx opening the door._

The shield Ravus summoned held the fire back with ease. He grabbed his mother's arm and moved her out of the way of Glauca's sword. "Go. Take Ravus and follow after King Regis."

"Wha… Who?..." His younger self, injured and unable to influence anything whispered even as Queen Sylva Nox Fleuret nodded and helped him up.

Ravus parried Glauca's next strike with ease, a vicious grin on his face. "One of King Regis' Glaive. Now go!" A blast of lightning magic opened the path for the two royals, Ravus followed after them for a few seconds before stopping and turning to face Niflheim's army.

"Move out of the way and you may be spared." General Glauca declared as he walked up to Ravus, one hand raised as the MTs turned their guns toward the single man standing between them and their targets.

Ravus closed his eyes, relaxing as he understood more of this place. As he opened his eyes once more, Ravus met Glauca's gaze with his own. "I am Commander Ravus Nox Fleuret, commander of the Kingsglaive! You will not take a single step past me!"

Glauca burst out laughing, shifted his stance as he lifted his sword. "You and what army?"

"This one." Ravus whispered even as he warped forward. As he reappeared behind Glauca, he was not alone. Nyx's kukris bit into the magitek armor with a vengeance. Ravus' rapier slid into the small opening and drew blood. Luca's magic infused bombs exploded behind them, the air turning frigid as ice spread over the clearing.

Even without seeing them, Ravus felt as glaive after glaive appeared around him and destroyed the MTs in a devastating and unstoppable wave of magic. Bound by the magic of the Lucii. Bound by fighting to survive and protect. Bound by chosen bonds that gave Ravus a third family that supported him.

And given shape by Kaitiaki's illusions. Shadows cast by the light of his own memories.

Ravus smiled as Glauca screamed in pain. This time… This time he would kill Titus Glauca Drautos with his own hands. Ravus charged forward. He warped through Glauca's strike, using the broadsword as a stepping point as he switched his rapier into his left hand and drove the razor sharp point into the unprotected eye socket in front of him.

As soon as the last of the MTs and Niflheim soldiers had been destroyed or captured, Ravus left the clearing. The coeurl joined him, a silent companion as Ravus searched for his family. He found them, safe and mostly uninjured, with King Regis and Queen Aulea arguing about where to go as they clutched their children tight.

Ravus spent a few moments simply watching them before he stepped into the clearing. He wasn't surprised to see his companion had not followed him. "Your Majesties, your highnesses; I am glad to see you safe."

"Who are you?" King Regis demanded as he shifted Noctis to another shoulder. The magic in the air told Ravus how close he was to summoning the Armiger.

Ravus didn't answer as his gaze met his younger self. The shame and fear in the eyes of the child he had once been told him why the shadows were still present. He still had something to say, something he wished someone would have told him right after the invasion and not several years after the fact.

Ravus, the commander of the Kingsglaive and adult who had received years of counselling and support, knelt in front of his child self. The distance between them shrunk down until they were almost touching each other. "You did all that you could do. There is nothing to be ashamed of because you survived. No weapon, spell or trick would have changed the outcome. Be honest with your sister and help each other. You are both important and both of you did the best that you could."

Tears started running down the cheeks of the child as the illusion faded, leaving Ravus alone with the white coeurl. He reached up to wipe his eyes and stood up. The coeurl purred and rubbed itself against his legs. "Thank you. Now could you show me the way out?"

The coeurl nodded and walked off, pausing just long enough to check if Ravus was following, as he led Ravus to the Tower.

* * *

The cave Ravus walked in was filled with a great tree, its branches filled by countless coeurls with golden eyes, while a great white coeurl slumbered under it. Kaitiaki most likely, though he didn't remember hearing anything about the coeurl breathing out thunderstorms with its rumbling breaths.

"Commander!" Ravus turned to the source of the voice and smiled as he saw Pelna step into the cave. Moments later, Selena stumbled in as well from another entrance, panting and gasping for breath. "Selena! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Pelna hurried to her side. She shook her head but didn't straighten for a few more minutes.

Coeurls streamed from behind them, moving past her to join the other coeurls in the branches. Ravus watched them carefully even as he asked, "What were your trials?" to the other two.

Pelna shrugged, "A poor attempt to confuse me with illusions." He winced as Selena elbowed him with a glare.

"Mine was anything but that. I didn't even realize that it wasn't real until I saw you two." Selena muttered, wiping the sweat from her forehead and straightening. She elaborated angrily, "I was back to the morning of Niflheim's attack on Galahd but this time they killed everyone. I had to escape alone and warn the others of the invasion before it was too late."

Pelna winced and, with a wordless question, embraced the youngest Ulric in a hug. Ravus sighed, "It was the same for me." When he noticed the odd looks the other two shot him, Ravus quickly explained. "I was back in Tenebrae the morning of the invasion... But I don't think it was a Trial in my case."

"It was not quite one but we will count it as such should you desire it." The voice, light and composed, cause them all to turn their attention to the tree. Or rather the singular black and grey coeurl approaching them. As the coeurl approached, its appearance changed.

First, the coeurl stood on its hind legs, then its front legs became arms while its back legs elongated. Its black and grey pelt shifted around its body, becoming clothes as its head became human. Finally the coeurl-turned-human stopped in front of them with a smile.

"I am Ara, one of the Hosts for Kaitiaki. I welcome you into the Inner Sanctum of our Guardian." Her golden eyes looked at them carefully. "The three of you have completed the Trial of Clans."

"What of the others? Nyx? Crowe? Libertus?" Selena demanded. "Are they..."

Ara raised a hand to stop her. "The other Candidates have failed and will be returned to the entrance once your Trials have been completed. They are unharmed and safe."

"Really?" Selena pressed. Ara nodded firmly, a kind smile on her lips. "Okay then, so we have other Trials to do?"

"Yes, only one may become the next Host for Kaitiaki's power." Ara explained with a wave towards the slumbering Coeurl Guardian. "Until that time, successful candidates must continue with the Trials."

Ravus interrupted her before she could continue. "And what exactly does being a Host entail? We came here with little information on the procedure or what might happen if we did find Kaitiaki." Pelna nodded his agreement as Selena tilted her head sideways to peer at the Guardian.

Ara kept smiling. "I see then allow me to explain what the Host is and what their duties would be." She waved her hand, lightning crackling in her palm until it flared outwards in a large circle. Within moments, a table filled with drinks and food - all of it Galahdian - with four chairs materialized. "This may take a while so please sit down. I will explain and answer any questions you may have."

Ravus looked over at Pelna and Selena then shrugged. He was rather hungry and something warm would help settle his mind. He took a seat and served himself something that smelled a lot like mint. Pelna and Selena soon followed his lead, sitting down and grabbing some food and something to drink.

Ara took the last seat and started explaining. By the end of the explanation, Ravus had his answer as to what to do next. Being a Host was quite the unique being, similar to a messenger and yet vastly different in many ways.

A Host was the receptacle of Kaitiaki's power, mind and a portion of their soul. By accepting those things within themselves, they became an aspect of the Guardian, able to call upon the previous Hosts as undying coeurls and create storms that rivalled that of Ramuh. They also received the memories of every previous Host and became linked to them mentally.

For as long as the Host lived, they would be the Kaitiaki's voice in judgement and decision making. And in death... Well that was one of the things that made Ravus certain he did not want to become a Host. For in death, the Host would join the other previous Hosts as coeurls protecting and serving Kaitiaki until the Guardian died.

Pelna brushed crumbs of his hands and asked, "So the Host can travel around Eos?"

Ara nodded, "For short periods of time, for they are tied to Kaitiaki and the Tree. Going too far for too long will result in the death of the Host."

"Well, that makes things easier." Muttered Ravus. Ara shot him a confused look but Ravus knew who would become the Host. There was really only one choice among the three of them. He stood up, turned to the Tree, Kaitiaki, and the previous Hosts, and bowed deeply. "I thank you for the gift you gave me. There is no need for further trials as only one of us has the desire to become Guardian Kaitiaki's Host." Pelna and Selena rose to their feet, near identical grins telling him he was right.

The only valid Candidate stepped forth, making their way towards the slumbering coeurl with careful reference. A hand was extended and placed on Kaitiaki's muzzle. A few words were whispered into the silence.

Large golden eyes slid open. _Welcome My Host._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I just write almost 2k of Ravus finding closure about his childhood trauma? Yes I did :) 
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe and sane. Thanks for the kudos and please leave a comment!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new Ruler for Galahd has been chosen. Niflheim doesn't know what hit them.

Lightning streaked through the air, crackling around the airships but only destroying one or two of them. In the center of the storm was the Sublimis Fuga, moving slowly but inexorably towards the coastline. Nothing they managed to throw at it made even the slightest scratch on it.

"Shit." Noctis ducked behind Gladio to catch his breath as his eyes returned to their normal colour. Ramuh was already fading away, leaving only his lightning to indicate he'd even been present. "If we don't find a way to destroy that Six-forsaken ship then we're screwed."

Gladio grunted as he used his shield to toss a soldier away. Within a single breath, he'd changed from his shield to his greatsword and cut down all the enemies within reach to give Noctis some breathing room. "Iggy's working on it! We just have to hold on until he figures something out."

Prompto skittered into the open area, hissing as he shook his hands out. "This is getting bad guys! Cor just sent a message. They're being attacked as well and can't come help!" Noctis and Gladio both swore.

Noctis grabbed his last ether and crushed it, feeling only a bit of relief at the replenished magic. The battle had only been going for 20 minutes or so but the sheer amount of fighting they'd done so far was forcing them to their limits. He could see it in the shaking of Prompto's hands, in Gladio's slight grunt with every movement, and in the increase of bodies strewn across the battlefield.

They were being pushed back.

Noctis gritted his teeth as he took the brief moment of peace to gauge the battlefield. His hand reached up to grab his necklace as he took in the amount of wounded and dead. Should he put it on? He wasn't sure if doing so would actually make a difference now, not when the Niflheim army was easily four times as numerous as the hunters, glaives and trainees combined.

But if he didn't then they would undoubtedly lose.

Noctis tugged the necklace out of his shirt, ignoring the worried looks Prompto and Gladio sent his way. The Ring of Lucii glinted in the sunlight, the power within whispering for Noctis to wear it as it had since Noctis had first touched it. Part of him hated the Ring and everything it represented, but it held power; enough power to at least provide some measure of safety for a full retreat.

His free hand reached it and snapped the Ring from the necklace. He allowed the chain to drop to the ground as he straightened. The rays of the sun appeared to warp around the edge of the Ring, almost as if the light was being absorbed by the Ring.

Time seemed to slow down as Noctis extended a finger and started to slip the Ring on it.

_BOOM!_

The cliff side erupted, sending rocks flying through the air. Five figures appeared amidst a shower of crystal magic. Four of them jumped straight into the fight, leaving a swath of bodies behind them. The remaining figure headed towards them.

From the entrance to the Trials, streaks of lightning exploded outwards, zig-zagging through the air until they hit an airship. Some of the lightning streaks curved upward to the top of the cliff, sending earth and soldiers flying. Some of the lightning shot out inland, quickly disappearing from sight.

"Are those...Coeurls?" Prompto muttered, eyes squinting to see through the flashes of lightning.

"They are the previous Hosts of Kaitiaki, the past Rulers of Galahd." Ravus stated as he strode over. He kept watch as the coeurls jumped from one airship to another, powerful strikes of lightning causing them to explode where Ramuh's lightning hadn't bothered them. The coeurls among the soldiers roared and echoed the movements of the one in the air.

Ravus didn't hesitate as he reached out to Noctis and grabbed the earpiece. "All troops are to withdraw from the battle, grab anyone injured and make their way to the medical area." He turned to the trio with a raised brow and said, "That means you three as well."

Gladio grinned and clapped Noctis on the back gently. "You heard the General. Put that ring away and let's go check up on Iggy." Prompto dropped to his knee to scoop the chain off the ground. He handed it off to Noctis, who moved slowly as he returned the ring to where it had lain mere moments ago.

"Cor and Dad…The others!" Noctis muttered. "They were…"

Ravus smiled, "They'll be fine, though I suppose it would be best to warn them of our new allies. The new Ruler of Galahd is not going to be happy if they get hurt."

A sudden tornado cut off any attempt to question Ravus on who the new ruler was. They turned to watch as the Sublimis Fuga, metal screeching as it fought against the gale winds, roared its engines and made a slow retreat. An engine was torn off and exploded, sending a wave of fire into the tornado. The fire grew and grew until the tornado had become covered by it.

Steam rose where it touched the ocean. A copper-toned coeurl landed not far from the group, and after a glance in their direction the coeurl roared loudly. At the sound, the tornado exploded in size and the coeurls playing catch with the few remaining airships jumped down to stand beside the first coeurl.

The sky quickly emptied of airships, leaving only the Sublimis Fuga puttering about in as quick a retreat as it could make. Noctis frowned at the leaving ship, "Shouldn't we try to destroy it?" He glanced between Ravus and the amassed coeurls.

Ravus shook his head, "If it survived the tornado, then I doubt we could cause it any permanent damage with what we currently have at our disposal. Best to let it go for now." Noctis stayed silent for several seconds before he sighed and nodded.

Prompto tapped Noctis' shoulder and pointed towards the cliff. The copper- toned coeurl was walking towards them. After a few steps, its appearance changed slowly but surely into that of a familiar person. Noctis, Gladio and Prompto starred in complete surprise at them.

"And that's one thing down!" Selena said happily as she greeted her friends. Her eyes were now golden and slitted like those of a coeurl."Saeclum just confirmed they dealt with the other Niff soldiers that were bugging the Marshall and the others. They'll be going through the islands to ferret out any other intruders overnight."

Gladio stammered, "You... you're the new Ruler?"

Selena Ulric tilted her head with a grin. "What? Didn't you think I could do it?" She chuckled at the hurried clarification from Gladio that that wasn't at all what he meant. "I'm joking. Let's meet up with everyone and I'll explain what happened."

"Selena! Don't forget to create the barrier!" Another coeurl shifted into human form and shouted to her. Selena waved in acknowledgement but otherwise did nothing else. Yet something in the air changed within seconds.

Noctis took a deep breath and was pleasantly surprised to notice his magic was now regenerating at a really fast pace. "What did you just do?"

Selena grinned, "Like I said, I'll explain once we're all together. It's a bit of a long tale and I'd rather not repeat it." Ravus seemed to agree with her as he patted Noctis on the back and left to deal with his glaives.

* * *

A few hours later saw them sitting around one of the fires in Cunabula, listening as Selena finished explaining her link with Kaitiaki. Nyx was by her side as he had been since the fighting ended. Luna was deep in thought after listening to Selena while Cor, Regis, Clarus and Lance listened with fascination.

Noctis could already see the gears turning in Cor and Clarus' brains, probably considering how this changed the war. He himself didn't intend on asking for much from the new Ruler of Galahd but if she could somehow extend the barrier around Galahd then it would make things so much easier for everyone. He doubted it was possible but it was a nice hope to entertain.

Ignis cleared his throat. "In other words, you are now linked with the Guardian known as Kaitiaki, and able to use all of its abilities?"

Selena nodded, "Pretty much. The barrier I made is similar to a high pressure zone but it contains and concentrates magic. I can create any weather pattern that involves wind, change shapes, channel lightning, and now have an innate knowledge of every Galahdian on Eos."

"That's very versatile." Cor remarked. "But it's limited to Galahd itself so we won't be able to make use of those powers in the war against Niflheim."

"Perhaps not, but if Selena is willing-" Regis tilted his head towards the young lady in question. "we could make use of Galahd as a point of refuge for anyone seeking to escape from Niflheim's oppression and a base to safely train anyone willing to fight for us."

Selena shrugged, "I don't have a problem with that since Galahd already has a hundred and three thousand Insomnians and Lucians within our borders. You'll still have to talk with the Council to get the details down." She pointed her skewer in his direction for a moment before going back to eating it.

Regis smiled, "I'm sure that between myself, Noctis and Lance we will be able to figure some kind of agreement that will suit all involved." The discussion devolved into who would be likely to support the idea, who might be convinced to do so, and who would not.

It was a discussion Noctis was glad to escape as Luna motioned for him to follow her. With a nod towards his lovers, family and friends, Noctis walked with Luna until they came to stand out of sight and hearing of the festivities. "Something on your mind?" He asked softly, tilting his head up to look at the stars.

Luna stayed silent for a while before she answered him. "The Guardians are not mentioned anywhere in the Cosmology, nor has Gentiana ever told me of such beings." Noctis hummed an acknowledgement but didn't say anything just yet. She continued, "I... I am starting to doubt them." She didn't have to say who they were. "First the Prophecy and what it required of us. Then this original Healer King you have spoken of, and now these Guardians?"

"What else have they been hiding? What other secrets do they keep from us? Secrets that could have... Could change everything?" She turned to Noctis, a desperate look in her eyes. "I can't keep following them blindly! Not after this!"

"Then don't." Noctis said simply. He had already made peace with the Astrals, or rather kicked them to the curb and resolved never to deal with them again unless absolutely necessary. He met her gaze with a firm expression. "Lestallum has been able to restart the production of the cure. Most of Lucis has already been vaccinated. Selena and her pride of coeurls can heal and protect Galahd. There is no real need for you to remain here if you don't want to."

Noctis reached out and gently took Lunafreya's hands. "You've been such a big help to us since this all started. You told me about the prophecy, stood by my side as I tried my best to become the Chosen King in my own way. You told the Astrals off when they decided I wasn't their Chosen any longer." Noctis laughed at her surprised expression.

"Yes, I know all about how angry you got after Leviathan's Trial. Carbuncle showed me." He squeezed her hands. "You've been stuck in this Prophecy as much as, no, probably even more than me. But that's no longer something you need to worry about, Luna. So if you want to spend some time figuring out what you believe in now, or what you want to do, then you have my blessing to grab anyone you want and go do just that."

Luna raised a brow, "Even if I wanted to take Prompto with me?" Noctis pouted but, giving an exaggerated sigh of defeat, nodded. Tears filled her eyes as Luna lunged forward and hugged Noctis. "Thank you, dear Noctis."

Noctis smiled, rested his head on hers and hugged her closer. He would be sad to see her leave, but knew it was something she needed to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone still reading and leaving comments/kudos. As I said in previous notes, I haven't been able to concentrate on writing for the Cure Au due to health issues and the pandemic stress as such there won't be further updates for a while as I try to write slowly.
> 
> If you want to read fun drabbles, I started a quarantine prompt drabble fic. Please go check it out and leave me prompts if you want!
> 
> Hope you are all staying safe and sane where ever you are <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Selena taking up her duties as Ruler of Galahd, Noctis is left managing the nobles of Lucis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience. I havent quite finished this arc but I felt bad not updating after so long.
> 
> As such, I have decided to update 1/month until im completely done writing the fic. Once its fully written then Ill update more frequently.
> 
> Without further a due, here is the next arc of Journey to Dawn!

Noctis stretched his arms above his head with a groan. With Selena officially becoming the Ruler of Galahd, the islands’ protection were guaranteed. That in itself had caused quite the stir among the islands, with Selena being asked to visit each village as a guest of honor. With Noctis and Lunafreya present, any such invitation had to be extended to them as well. Ravus had laughed at them as they’d returned from one such feast full to bursting and drunk.

He’d thought that his dad could deal with this, but Regis hadn’t been feeling well lately. Clarus had found him collapsed in his room a few days after the battle at Cunabula with a high fever and talking nonsense. Luna had done her best to help, but since her healing hadn’t made a significant effect on him she thought that the barrier surrounding Galahd might have been the cause. As such, Clarus and Cor had left with his dad within the day.

“ Any news from Cape Caem?” Noctis asked Ignis, enjoying the sight of his advisor’s ass as he bent over the desk to grab the completed paperwork.

Ignis rolled his eyes at Noctis’ obvious ogling. “You could speak with your father yourself, Noct.” Noctis looked away, pressing his lips together. Ignis sighed. “King Regis’ fever is still irregular but he’s doing alright otherwise. Cor reports an increase in patrols from Niflheim across Lucis but especially in the Duscae region. It would appear that Niflheim is planning something either in Insomnia or in the region itself.”

“ Anything from our spies?” Ignis shook his head. “We’ll need to hurry up our plans then. If they are planning something, then the sooner we return to Lucis, the faster we’ll be able to respond to anything they decide to do.”

“ Indeed. I’ll tell Gladio and Prompto to start getting things ready.” Ignis leaned over and kissed Noctis quickly before hurrying out the room. He paused by the door for a moment. “If we plan things correctly, we may have a few days to ourselves.” The dull thump of Noctis over balancing his chair told Ignis his words had the desired effect.

Noctis rubbed the back of his head and pouted at Ignis’ retreating back. The four of them had had little time to spend together over the last few months. To have that kind of promise dangled in front of him like that... He tried to return to his work but his mind kept returning to that promise and all its implications. With a groan, Noctis dropped his head on his arms.

Damn it, Specs!

* * *

Their plans to have a few days to themselves were ruined by an intercepted message from Niflheim. Noctis dropped what he’d been doing when Gladio whispered the news to him in the middle of another boring meeting with some village mayors. “I apologize, but some urgent news requires my immediate attention.” He gave a brief bow before hurrying out without waiting for a reply with Gladio at his back.

“ Do you have any idea what the message was?” Noctis asked, his mind whirling with possibilities. Only something very important would convince Ignis to send for him instead of managing the response himself.

Gladio shook his head. “Ignis didn’t say. He just told me that they’d intercepted something and you needed to hurry back.” Noctis frowned as he slipped into the backseat of the borrowed car. Gladio slipped into the front and added, “He sounded annoyed more than anything.”

Noctis rolled his eyes. Ignis sounded annoyed often when he had to manage anyone with an inflated value of themselves. As soon as the car was out of the village and heading towards the new Crownsguard base, Noctis took out his phone and called him, putting it on speaker so Gladio would know what was going on as well.

The phone didn’t have the time to finish its first ring before it was answered.

“ Your Majesty,” Ignis answered loudly. Noctis raised a brow at the address; it usually meant he wasn’t alone. “I apologize for disturbing you, however, we have just recently received a troubling report from the Crownsguard.” Noctis heard the sound of a door closing before Ignis sighed. “Finally, I was starting to get a headache from all their screeching.”

“ That bad huh?”

“ Unfortunately,” the sound of another door opening then closing filtered through, “but that doesn’t matter right now. I imagine Gladio is with you?” Gladio gave a grunt of acknowledgment. “Then I’ll get straight to the point. Niflheim has just sent General Caligo Uldor to Insomnia with orders to ‘weed out’ any dissidents. It was transmitted openly through the official channels of the new ‘temporary’ Insomnian government.”

“ Shit!” Noctis scowled. He knew what weeding out dissidents actually meant. Added to that was Uldor’s disturbing reputation of being a sadistic tyrant and… “We need to warn Luche and the others ASAP.”

Gladio drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. “They’ll be the first ones to be interrogated if they’re actually looking for troublemakers. Somehow, I doubt that. It’s more likely that Chancellor Izunia plans on using the people as either bait or a deterrent to force our hands in some way.”

Noctis suppressed his reflex to wince at the mention of Izunia. His conversation with Ardyn had given him a much deeper understanding of the creature than he wanted. Noctis had shared some of the information with those he trusted, but something had told him to keep some details to himself. Only Lunafreya knew the full extent of who, and what, the Chancellor was.

Izunia would undoubtedly do all it could to anger him since that would lead to the Prophecy happening. The Chancellor wanted Noctis to act in a very specific manner and had enough knowledge to manipulate events to incite the reaction it needed from Noctis. Or so Izunia thought. 

Noctis was no longer the Chosen King and had no intention of playing part in a prophecy that would kill most of Eos’ inhabitants.

“ Noctis?” Gladio’s voice broke through his thoughts. Noctis glanced up and offered a smile to his worried lover. “You okay there?”

“ Ya, just worried. What do you suggest we do Specs?”

Ignis hummed thoughtfully for a while before he answered, “For the moment, our priority must be warning those in Insomnia of the danger approaching. I will contact Cor and Lord Clarus immediately as well.”

“ Sounds good. We can figure out what we can do once we contact Luche.” Noctis nodded solemnly. “Try not to work too hard, Specs.”

Ignis chuckled. “I will try. See you soon.” He hung up, leaving Noctis to his thoughts.

Gladio allowed Noctis to stew in his thoughts as he kept his eyes on the road. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something Noctis wasn’t telling them. The feeling had been nagging Gladio since Altissia, since their discussion on Chancellor Izunia and Ardyn Lucis Caelum.

Learning that Chancellor Izunia was infected by the scourge hadn’t been a surprise, nor had the fact that Ardyn was related to the royal line. Learning that Ardyn and Izunia were the same person - or rather, were sharing the same body - had been the bigger shock.

Noctis had said he didn’t know why such a split had occurred, but Gladio wasn’t sure about that. Neither he nor Ignis had pushed the matter when Prompto was still recovering from the loss of his own daemonic powers, but Gladio knew there was something more to the story.

Ignis had the same suspicions but both had agreed to wait until Noctis was ready to talk. Gladio sighed as he reached out to put some music on. That had been a few months ago and Noctis still hadn’t confided in them. He loved the nap-loving idiot but he was also getting worried.

Part of Gladio loved seeing Noctis step up to his destiny and taking up the mantle of a king while King Regis was still recovering from his imprisonment. Part of him hated seeing Noctis push himself so much. Hated watching Noctis hide migraines and pretend everything was alright.

Ignis had finally managed to carve up some time for them to enjoy together, away from the expectations of the crown. But now that was unlikely to happen. Gladio wanted to swear, shout, and destroy something! His hands tightened on the steering wheel as Gladio wrestled with his anger.

Gladiolus Amicitia was a Shield. The Shield recognized by Gilgamesh. He was there to support Noctis, to be his Shield not only in a fight but in all adversity. Gladio took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. His anger was merely hiding his worry; it wasn’t useful right now so he tucked it aside to deal with later.

“ You alright, Noct?” he asked instead.

Noctis jerked his head up to blink owlishly at Gladio through the rearview mirror. A beat of confused silence. Then, “Sorry, did you say something?”

Gladio gave him a smile. “Just checking in on you. You seemed lost somewhere.”

Noctis rubbed the back of his head, “Just thinking about that message.” He paused, looked out the window, and said, “It’s just weird. Niflheim -” more like the Chancellor if Gladio was reading between the lines correctly, “- has to know we’re keeping an eye out on their communications. So why did they send it on that channel?”

“ Blackmail probably.” Gladio shrugged even as he gently maneuvered the car to a stop. “They want us to know they can and will hurt those stuck in Insomnia.”

Noctis frowned, still looking out the window. “I don’t know. Something about this just seems off.” He followed Gladio out of the car, past a few guards and into a busy room.

“ Your Majesty!” Monica saluted him. “You’ve arrived just in time. We have just received another message from Niflheim. This time from Chancellor Izunia!”

“ What?” 

Monica nodded and handed Noctis a sheet of paper. Reading it solidified Noctis’ worries. Gladio shifted so he could also read it and growled, “Ifrit’s balls! Is he serious?”

Noctis pressed his lips together tightly. “I’m afraid so. We need to find Ignis. And let Dad know about this.” Monica told them where to find Ignis and headed off to contact the groups on the mainland of Lucis. 

Ignis was talking with Prompto, both of them staring intently at a paper. Noctis shared a worried glance with Gladio as they approached them. “What’s got you guys so interested?”

Ignis looked up, a frown firmly settled on his face; but Prompto didn’t, which worried Noctis more than the message from Izunia. Noctis raised a brow, wordlessly asking Ignis to fill them in. Ignis squeezed Prompto’s shoulder before he turned to Noctis and Gladio.

“ The Resistance just sent us partial blueprints of the exploding collars that were put on the glaives in Insomnia.” He said simply. “As well as letting us know that one of their airships is on their way here with an envoy to discuss an alliance.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I initially posted this at the beginning of the week but for some reason AO3 glitched. So here it is once again! Thank you for your patience.
> 
> Whanau = the proper name for the previous hosts of Kaitiaki

The next few hours were chaotic as everyone scrambled to deal with the three separate situations. Prompto kept studying the blueprints with Dustin while Ignis and Monica dealt with sharing the messages to the other groups. That left Noctis and Gladio to track down Selena and warn her of the approaching airship.

They found her waiting just outside of the town, already aware of the approaching airship. A few of the whanau were with her. Selena glanced over to them and asked, “Friend or foe?”

“ Friends, we hope. We just got a message from the resistance in Niflheim. They sent part of the blueprint for the collars, and an envoy.” Noctis replied as he approached.

Selena hummed thoughtfully for a moment before she pushed herself off the wall and started walking towards the coast. “About time the resistance over there started doing stuff. Come on, they’ll have to land by Siroda.” Noctis shared a glance with Gladio as they both kept up with her.

The airship was already visible off the coast, staying a respectable distance away from the lightning strikes that marked the edge of the barrier. The rust-coloured coeurl standing guard there turned their head towards the approaching group, inspecting them for a moment before walking away when Selena raised a hand in their direction.

The lightning stopped, the air shimmering for the barest of moments but that seemed to be enough of a signal for the airship to slowly move forward until it landed not too far from them. Gladio stepped forward, his hand flexing and itching to summon his sword but he didn’t. Yet.

The hangar door opened with a hiss only to reveal the last person any of them would have expected. “Sylva?” “Auntie?” “Mrs. Argentum?” Sylva Argentum waved cheekily as she stepped down. Bandages covered her left hand and there were several scars on her face, yet she looked just as calmly confident as before the attack on Insomnia.

“ Good afternoon,” Sylva smiled as she approached them alone. “I’m glad to see you all safe.” Before she could continue saying anything, Selena threw herself into a hug that made Sylva stumble back laughing.

Noctis waited until Sylva was firmly back on her feet before he clasped her shoulder and said, “Prompto is going to be so happy to see you.” Noctis’ gaze was drawn to the airship. There was something familiar about it but he couldn’t quite place it. “Are you the one who sent us the message?”

Sylva nodded. “Along with someone who you’ve apparently met before.” She paused, half turning to the airship before she glanced back at Noctis and asked, “Can they come down? I can swear to their intentions.”

“ No need. I trust you.” Noctis shrugged.

Sylva raised a hand up, making an ok sign before turning back to them. “I believe you may know Aranea Highwind and her mercenaries?”Aranea grinned as she walked out to join the others, Biggs and Wedge close behind.

Since the resistance members turned out to be friends they knew, Noctis led them back to the town to talk. He tried to call Prompto several times but kept getting his voicemail, same for Ignis. Both of them were likely working too hard. He tried Lance’s number but the man had turned his phone off. Sylva went to find them once they arrived, leaving Selena, Noctis and Gladio to deal with Aranea on their own.

Once comfortable in one of the conference rooms, Noctis asked. “So why has the resistance reached out now?”

Aranea threw an arm over the back of the seat, “I don’t know the exact reasons for the timing, Princeling. All I know is that the leaders sent me to offer a co-operative strike against Niflheim.” She dug out a letter from her bag and extended it to Noctis with a bored look.

Noctis took the letter, shifting so Selena and Gladio could both read it as well. The first part was a general greeting from the leaders of the resistance which held little interest for them at the moment. The next bits were more important. “So the resistance is planning a coup and wants to synchronize it with our own actions to retake Insomnia and Lucis.”

Gladio hummed and added, “The information they could provide us would be very helpful in planning our own attacks.” Noctis nodded and kept reading. Most of the information on the letter was vague; but they had a radio frequency that would allow communication directly with the resistance, which would allow for better negotiation.

Aranea took a bite of an orange as she said, “I’d suggest accepting their help. From the little I saw since I got hired by them, they’re well established throughout Niflheim and are just waiting for the right moment to strike.”

Gladio growled, “How convenient for them, they’re ready to help us months after we could have used their help.” Selena rolled her eyes and reached out to poke his rib. Gladio jumped and turned to glare at her. “What? It’s true.”

Selena sighed. “I have a feeling that it’s because of what happened that they’re ready now.” She turned to Aranea, clearly asking for the mercenary’s opinion. Aranea gave a brisk nod before devouring another piece of orange. “See?”

Noctis ignored the bickering. Privately he agreed with Gladio especially considering the discrete help Lucis gave the resistance since it was first created. On the other hand, he did remember all the lessons Ignis had insisted on giving him on how successful coups, resistance groups, and covert operations were done. It would make sense that the extensive military operation that had led to Insomnia’s capture and subsequent attempts to capture Noctis had allowed the resistance to gain ground in their preparations.

He raised a hand to stop the squabbling between Selena and Gladio and turned to Aranea. “You said you saw part of their operation. I’d like to hear anything you know about the resistance.” 

Aranea grinned and leaned forward. “Of course… if you’re offering the right price.” Noctis sighed and firmly ignored Selena’s laughter. He should have expected that.

* * *

Prompto muttered to himself as he traced the schematics over and over again. He could see how it worked. How the different circuits acted as back up for each other. There were parts that Prompto couldn’t figure out. Since it was likely some self-contained and patented part of the collar, Ignis had taken to searching for them in what remained of the Accordo-Lucis archives. They could only hope to find some hint on those parts as it appeared to be a central component of the collars.

“ You don’t need to worry about those parts.” A familiar hand and voice came from behind him and tapped three of the parts Prompto had been trying to figure out. “They’re redundant signal receptors but play no other function than that.”

Prompto hummed as he nodded. That made sense considering their placement and the wiring around them. “Thanks Mom.” A pause.

The pencil in Prompto’s hand fell on the table as he twirled around in shock. “Mom?” Sylva Argentum grinned at her son’s surprise, hands on her hip. Lance was looking just as amused as his wife. Prompto threw himself into his mom’s arms, clinging to her with all the fears her prolonged absence had created.

Sylva returned the hug with equal ferocity. She had missed her family terribly especially after the near encounter in Tenebrae. “I’m here Prom. I’m here.” Sylva whispered soothingly to her child. She felt Lance join them, wrapping an arm around her and Prompto.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ignis make a discreet exit to give the reunited family some privacy. She’d give him a hug later as well.

* * *

One hug later and a full meal shared among family and friends, Sylva sat down by Luna and offered a mango smoothie. “Prompto told me you’re planning on going on a pilgrimage of your own?”

Luna accepted the drink with a smile and a nod. “Did he tell you why?” Sylva nodded. “I need answers and the Astrals have been rather uncooperative in answering me.” Luna’s grip tightened over the glass. “They demand obedience but refuse to explain their choices when confronted. Not to mention these Guardians!” Sylva smiled and listened carefully as Lunafreya allowed herself to vent her frustrations.

Sylva had her own reasons for being interested in these Guardians and the possibilities around them. So when Luna asked for her advice on where to begin her search, Sylva was only too happy to point her in a very specific direction. And if she shared with the young lady a few ways to identify undercover operatives belonging to Accordo or Niflheim with some accompanying blackmail options, well that was simply a backup should Lunafreya need it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! I loved seeing your thoughts about the story and hope to see hear more :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if you've received multiple notifications about the update. I have been having trouble with getting the fic to update properly and have had to delete the chapter then retry a few times.

It took a while to gather everyone and bring them all up to speed. The news from Aranea and from Sylvia had changed things and Noctis wanted to hear what the others thought of the development. With his dad and the others on the mainland, they had set up a room for video calls between them. Only Cor had made the trip from Cape Caem to Galahd, having already been on his way back to check up with his lieutenants.

His dad had been rather quiet throughout the discussions, and Noctis sent a worried glance at him. Dark circles adorned his eyes, eyes glazed and unfocused. His clothes, gifted by Galahdians and Lucians alike, hung loosely over a frame that was worryingly thin.

Clarus had said that his dad had been having issues with nightmares and flashbacks, more so since the fight at Canubula, but he'd declined any help from Lunafreya or medicines from anyone else. It worried Noctis and kept him up late into the night despite the reassurances from everyone that this would pass with the proper help.

He could only hope that it would because it was growing increasingly worrying. A nudge from Ignis brought his attention back to what was being discussed.

"...head to Tenebrae and see about liberating our people," Ravus was saying, brows scrunched together. Noctis blinked and glanced over to his advisor.

Ignis rolled his eyes and leaned closer. "Ravus and Cor are having a small disagreement about his leaving the glaives to take over the resistance movement in Tenebrae."

Noctis nodded his understanding and gratefulness to Ignis before he turned to add his two gills. "We could send some of the glaives with Ravus to Tenebrae. They can act as a scouting group as well as establish secure communications with the resistance in Tenebrae and Niflheim proper."

Ravus looked surprised at the suggestion. "And what of the rest of the glaives? I'll be sending Nyx and his band with Lunafreya and the newer glaives have limited experience in combat."

Noctis shrugged, "I think that between Lance, Navalus, and Cor; the glaives that remain with us can continue their training under the proper supervision." He glanced over at Cor, gratified to see the thoughtful look he bore. It meant that his suggestion was good and likely to be thoroughly considered.

"I'm certain that your lieutenants would also be apt to assist where needed." Lance said to Cor.

The discussion turned back to the plans the resistance had sent and how to deal with the news of Uldor's intentions in Insomnia. The glaives within the city had been on guard for this very thing since the census had been done by Niflheim so they would at least be able to react quickly should Uldor attempt to enforce the threat. It did nothing to diminish Noctis’ worry though.

Especially as Izunia had sent that second message directly to Noctis, the one inviting him to try and free Insomnia before Uldor was given the go-ahead to kill all dissenters. There had been no clear time limit but Noctis doubted the current state of things could last more than a month.

Finally a plan is agreed upon, it was simple but effective. An official offer would be sent to the resistance with Sylvia and Aranea, outlining what help Lucis would offer them and what was expected in return. It didn’t amount to much. Lucis would keep Niflheim’s attention on them until the agreed upon day by striking at Niflheim troops stationed throughout the country. In return, the resistance would send any information they had on troop movements, supply lines, and other targets for their use. After they had managed to deal with Niflheim within Lucis border, they would help the resistance by sending what supplies and troops they could spare.

Noctis leaned back with a sigh, “So we’re all in agreement?” He looked around the table, seeing the nods of agreements from all sides. Even his dad gave an absentminded nod. Noctis pushed his worry to the back of his mind, he would talk with his dad once things were settled. He turned his gaze on Ignis, Lance, Ventus and Sylvia. “Can I leave the wording of the agreement up to you guys?”

“ Of course Your Highness.” Ventus and Lance said with a bow. Ignis and Sylvia both nodded and Noctis had the feeling they were halfway done with the agreement already. Well, all the better. The four of them would enjoy the challenge of a semi-official agreement with a foreign rebellion group. 

A couple of minutes later, after checking once more that there was nothing else to discuss, the group separated to do their own thing. Noctis and Gladio followed Cor, and Aranea to one of the training grounds. The Dragoon had practically demanded the chance to spar against Cor, Gladio and anyone else that may give her a run for her money. Noctis was there mostly to relax and have an excuse to talk with his dad on the phone.

“ This should be interesting.” Noctis muttered into his phone as he pulled a chair out to watch. Regis chuckled at the words, it made Noct smile. “Should we place bets on who will win?” Noctis ignored the outraged glare Gladio sent him as he shifted until he was comfortable, the phone held loosely to his ear. Cor rolled his eyes and flagged the Dragoon down with an almost gleeful glint in his eyes.

“ I trust that Cor’s experience will give him the edge to win. Though Clarus might get jealous if she manages to beat him.” Regis teased.

“ Jealous? Don’t be daft Regis, I’d take her out to drink as a reward!” Noctis heard Clarus laugh at his dad and smiled. He was glad his dad had Clarus around. Regis had become much more outspoken about his relationship with Clarus since his rescue. Sometimes it made things awkward for Noctis and Gladio but neither of them could complain when it was clear how much their dads cared for each other.

It was quite the shift from before but one that was easily explained by their near deaths, both during the invasion and afterwards. Noctis didn’t mind, he wanted his dad to be happy and Clarus certainly made that his mission as well. It was nice in its own way though right now, Noctis was slightly jealous that they were able to spend so much time together when Noctis hadn’t been able to do so with his own lovers.

He grabbed some snacks from the armiger and focused on his conversation. “How have you been, Dad?”

“ As well as can be expected.” Regis replied, his tone tinged with the exhaustion Noctis had seen earlier. “And what about you? How have you been managing?”

Noctis shrugged. “It’s been okay for the most part. Gladio, Prompto and Ignis have been a huge help in keeping me from being overwhelmed with everything.”

“ You need not do it alone Noctis, I could help..”

Noctis quickly shook his head. “Nope. Not happening. You still haven’t recovered from your imprisonment and we still don’t know why you can’t access your magic.” Noctis could practically hear Regis wince at the reminder. Noctis sighed and tried to reassure him. “I’m ok Dad. I’ve got plenty of help from everyone and Selena is having a lot of fun dealing with Galahd’s politics for me. Your job right now, is to rest and get better.”

“You’ve grown so much Noctis, and I am so proud of you.” Noctis pressed his lips together and fixed his gaze on the table, blinking rapidly to clear the tears threatening to spill over at his dad’s praise. His dad chuckled kindly and continued, “It seems like yesterday that you were begging me to read you your favourite story.”

Noctis laughed at the memory, “Six, I still remember you doing the voices for the characters.” It was a dear and fond memory for Noct. Each moment his dad had been able to carve away from his duties to spend with him. The efforts, though sometimes rather disastrous, to make Noctis laugh and feel safe.

Regis laughed and teased his son “Yes, doing that Malboro-kun voice was quite hard but you always laughed at it every time.”

Noctis’ smile dropped suddenly. Malboro-kun? What was his dad talking about? “Dad? You never told me any stories about Malboro-kun.”

There was a long pause before Regis whispered confused. “I didn’t? I could have sworn I did...”

Noctis tensed up as he replied, “My favourite story was the ones about you and your friends before you became King.” There was a faint creak on the line, as though Regis had suddenly clenched his fist tightly. Noctis’ frown deepened. “Dad?”

Regis said nothing, the silence growing heavier by the second. The sparring match between Cor and Aranea came to an end, with the Dragoon losing her lance to a deft move from the Marshall. Noctis waited for some kind of answer, a movement or sign that his dad was ok. Just as he began to grow worried at the prolonged silence, Regis spoke softly.

“ I don’t understand... I remember it so clearly....” It sounded like Regis was talking to himself more than Noctis, and that in itself made him worry. Just as Noct was turning to signal Cor, Regis gave a long sigh and whispered apologetically to his son. “I’m sorry Noctis. I don’t know why I seem to be misremembering such an important detail.”

Noctis searched his dad’s tome for any sign that there was something wrong but other than a new edge of sadness -which in itself broke Noctis’ heart- there was no sign of uncharacteristic confusion. Still, not wanting to take any risk with his dad, Noctis signaled for Gladio to send his dad a message to check up on Regis. “It’s okay, dad. You’re probably just having trouble because of what happened to you.” He smiled and suggested, “Why don’t we go through some memories together and see what we can find.” Mentally he made a note to ask Luna to check on his dad when she passed by Cape Caem.

Regis gave a hum of agreement but said nothing more. Noctis forced himself to turn his gaze towards Gladio, giving his Shield a nod when he jerked his head towards the field. Still worried but satisfied that Noctis didn’t need him right away, Gladio approached the field for his turn to spar. He could do this. With a steadying breath, Noctis started talking about his fondest memories, hoping that his dad would remember these ones without an issue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments! I enjoy each and everyone of them. <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A well deserved day off and the beginning of intrigue.

Noctis signed the bottom of the letter with a flourish then handed it to Sylvia with a grin. “Please make sure it reaches the resistance leaders safely.” Sylvia nodded as she carefully folded the letter and slipped it into her bag. She and Aranea were scheduled to leave in a few hours with Luna and her guards.

“I’ll make sure it does.” Sylvia promised softly. Her eyes searched Noctis’ face carefully before she nodded again. “Take care of yourself and arrange for a day off soon. You look worn out.” She reached out and ruffled his hair. Noctis jerked back with a pout but didn’t dispute her words. They had been planning for a small vacation but then Izunia had threatened Insomnia, the resistance had sent a message, and things just got so busy none of them could take a day off to rest.

Sylvia chuckled and left with a wave, leaving Noctis alone to his thoughts. He’d sent a message to Niflheim, well to Izunia rather, asking for a meeting to discuss a possible cease-fire. Not that any cease-fire could ever be agreed upon in these circumstances but if Niflheim wanted to keep their "we're improving the lives of Eos" stance then they would have to appear to consider it. Plus Izunia had made it clear that he'd be happy to meet up with Noctis to discuss a full surrender by Lucis. 

Noctis shook his head and clambered to his feet. There were still a lot of things he needed to do before lunch, including checking in on his dad. He'd asked Luna to check up on Regis after she left and she'd gladly promised to do so. 

It worried him a lot, seeing his dad in such a state and yet unable to do much except be there for him. Noctis knew something was deeply wrong with his dad. Wrong memories, thankfully not many or anything too important like his parents marriage, added to the still unexplained lack of magic in his dad. It formed a cloud of anxious worry that Noctis could do nothing to address because there wasn't anything specific to address!

Maybe Prompto's mom was right… Noctis needed a break. Then he walked right into an all-too-pleased Aranea with Iris, and Selena, whispering in between bursts of laughter while glancing at… Noctis paled, turned right around and went to find someone sane.

He was taking the afternoon off with his boyfriends. Even if he had to make it an official order.

* * *

"Ah! This is perfect." Noctis sighed as he dropped into the soft sand of the beach. Ignis chuckled fondly as he unfolded the umbrella properly before taking a seat beside Noctis.

Gladio, wearing something that should definitely not be considered an appropriate bathing attire, was already in the ocean, having decided the best way to start an afternoon of sudden leisure was to cannonball from the top of the nearby cliffs. Prompto was taking pictures of the view in a white tank top and chocobo bathing shorts, a wide smile plastered on his face.

None of them had argued Noctis' sudden desire for an afternoon together, not after seeing Selena and Iris running away from Cor whose hair was now an outrageous shade of green. Aranea had been spared the sight by taking off shortly before Cor had fallen victim to the prank.

Ignis settled down beside Noctis carefully, the scars of his injuries stark white against the backdrop of the sand. Noctis' eyes lingered on them for a moment before he leaned over to kiss Ignis. It was returned passionately by Ignis and Noctis allowed himself to stop thinking so he could just enjoy the feeling of being kissed.

"Damn Noct!" Prompto laughed as he snapped some pictures of the duo, "Feeling impatient?" He dropped down beside them and gave a sly pout, "I want a kiss too."

Noctis groaned and rolled his eyes but still reached out to grab Prompto's neck and jerk him into a kiss. Ignis' hands wandered across his back, the heat of his body sending shivers down Noctis' spine. A shadow fell across them moments before Gladio joined in.

Noctis sighed happily and gave himself over to them. 

* * *

It turned out that taking that afternoon off was absolutely the right decision as preparations ramped up quickly the next day. Noctis had officially given the orders to start shifting the glaives and guards back to the mainland. Prompto was trying to build one of the collars from the blueprints in hope that it would allow him to figure out how to deactivate them safely.

Ignis and Gladio split their time between the two, unwilling to allow either of them to be alone for too long. There was a tension in the air, a sudden rush of movement and energy that hadn't been there mere days earlier.

Noctis had given Cor and Clarus full authority to make the choices concerning how, when, or where their troops would go once they were ready to move. It meant less paperwork but slightly more meetings as they, or Monica or Dustin or one of the glaives, contacted him to give their reports of their decisions at the end of the day. He didn’t mind those meetings since they were straight forward.

What took up most of his time was dealing with the nobles that had fled from Insomnia. They had been mostly reasonable under the threat of death or near permanent exile. However, now that a tangible plan to retake Insomnia and push Niflheim out of Lucis was in play, they had started acting out again.

He’d been able to foist them on Lance and Ventus initially, but as the glaives and guards grew and talks of retaking Insomnia had spread, they had started acting as though they had returned to the Crown City. Selena had threatened to kill the next idiots who started demanding Galahdians stop being Galahdians just so they feel comfortable and in control. Noctis was an inch away from joining her in the massacre but, unfortunately, the noble families held the money needed to sustain the soldiers, to repair damage done by NIlfheim, and to prosecute criminals once things had settled down enough for the non-martial legal system to restart.

So for now, Noctis had to play nice and _gently_ remind them that Galahd was recognized as a country within Lucis borders, and as such held the right to ban, exile or imprison them if they broke any of their laws. And that Noctis would be too busy dealing with the war to help anyone in such a situation. The reminder seemed to keep the more obnoxious nobles from doing anything too drastic but it didn’t prevent the sort of snide, manipulative monologues about their own self-importance for the “good of Lucis’ future”.

Those Noctis could ignore with a placating smile and meaningless sounds of acknowledgement while working on his to-do list with whomever was by his side at the time. It was fun to maintain a completely different conversation with either Gladio or Ignis while pretending to listen to autocratic twits. Noctis knew that Ignis, Lance and Ventus were compiling enough evidence of all their actions that the Crown would soon be in possession of the wealth they hoarded.

A knock on the door interrupted the latest of the useless nobles ranting mid-sentence. Noctis jumped at the chance to send the fool packing as he called out, "Enter," and raised a hand to prevent the noble from complaining about it.

The door opened to reveal Cor, papers in hand. Noctis frowned at the sight and hoped there hadn't been a problem with the guards or glaives. "Your Majesty," Cor greeted Noctis, ignoring the noble as he swept in. "I need to talk with you."

"Of course." Noctis nodded, giving the noble the thinnest of apologies for not listening to their complaints as Gladio ushered them away before they could protest. Once the door was firmly closed and Gladio was back, Noctis turned his attention to Cor. "Is everything alright?"

Cor shrugged, "Mostly. We should be able to start moving the guards to Cleigne by the beginning of next week. We’ll be sending most of the veterans out first to join up with the hunters. Once we have established safe bases we’ll bring in the trainees by assigned location.” Then he handed Noctis the papers he held, “This just came in. It's from Nyx; Aranea dropped them in Altissia without incident after a brief stop at Cape Caem. Apparently, Lunafreya managed to talk her way into the University’s private library.”

Noctis’ eyes brightened at the news and he snatched the papers from Cor with a relieved smile. He glanced through the message, shaking his head at the implied whining from a bored Nyx. There was some interesting information to be had from the very informal report. “The First Secretary hasn’t been seen for a while...” His eyes glanced up to meet Cor’s, “Niflheim?”

Cor tilted his head in a slight agreement, “It seems likely. Izunia was the last person to have been seen with her though whether she is dead, under house arrest or been brought to Gralea is unknown. Should we look into it?”

Noctis thought about it for a bit before replying, “Let’s leave that to Nyx and the others. It’ll give them something to do as they keep Luna safe.” Noctis paused then added, “Probably a good idea to let Sylvia know, too.”

“If she doesn’t already know,” Gladio interjected with a grin. Noctis and Cor both chuckled at that. It was likely their favourite nurse and somehow incredible spymaster, was already aware of this somewhat unsettling news.

“As I was saying,” Noctis returned to his thought with a roll of his eyes, “let’s see if Sylvia or the resistance knows about this.” He dropped the papers on his desk, stood up and stretched slowly. His back cracked loudly enough to have both Cor and Gladio give him a gauging look which he waved away with a smile. “I’m fine, just need to move a bit.”

Gladio’s shoulders relaxed noticeably and he opened the door with a jerk of his head. “Why don’t we go grab Iggy and Prompto for supper? You in, Cor?” Cor nodded, fishing his phone out to send a message to Monica.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays to everyone who has/is/will be celebrating between the last update and the next one.
> 
> Thank you for being part of this journey through the disaster that was 2020. Your comments, kudos, and interactions have been wonderful and helped me feel less alone. May you all stay safe, sane, and find joy in the coming year.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and his friends arrive back to Mainland Lucis. Time to plan their next move.

Noctis followed Gladio off the ship, Ignis following behind them while helping Prompto with his tools as they arrived at Cape Caem. Other ships, borrowed from Galahd, landed around the hidden cove one after the other.

Noctis gave a brief nod to Dave as the man came down the stairs to meet them. "Well met Noct Gar, or should I call you King Noctis?"

Noctis rolled his eyes, "Just Noctis is fine. How are things?" Dave grinned and brought them up to date as the soldiers disembarked ship by ship.

The army had been separated into clear sections throughout Lucis. Cape Caem would act as headquarters for communications with his dad; Clarus and Lance at the head of the operation. Cor, Monica and Dustin were bringing most of the crownguards unto the Pallareth cove to establish a base before starting to go after Niflheim's bases.

As for Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto, they would be heading straight to Lestallum in order to use the powerplant and the University. Prompto had mostly figured out a theory on how to jamm the explosive collars but he needed some way to test his theory before making a full prototype. They had already spoken with Jared, who had been able to contact Holly about putting some of the powerplant tools at Prompto's disposal.

While Prompto worked on the jammer, Noctis wanted to check on the vaccine production since the people within Insomnia would need it as soon as possible. He also wanted to check up on the Kingsglaive Research Facility. After the attack on Gladio and the destruction of the daemonic cult that followed, Lance had gotten a few hunters to keep watch on the facility with the glaives stationed there.

They had received semi-regular updates since that time and no indication of further incursions by Niflheim. However, Noctis wanted to see if they had been able to track down any of the experimental items that had gone missing. While most of the things stored at the facility had been incomplete or malfunctioning, some of the missing items could cause serious harm if Niflheim figured out how to replicate them.

As Dave finished reporting the latest Niflheim movements, troops mobilizing to reinforce the garrisons in Duscae and Cleigne; Gladio frowned thoughtfully. "What about Insomnia?" 

Dave shrugged, "My hunters have reported nothing new. Airships are still patrolling over the city and Niflheim's been keeping everyone in. They released some flans and ronin into the sewers the last time someone tried using it to move around but that's about it."

Details were ironed out over some food but Noctis' attention had shifted to his dad. He looked sick, a greenish tinge to his face, and he was playing with Ignis' stew without eating any. "Dad?" Regis' head jerked up and Noctis bit his lip at the glazed, slightly confused look in his eyes. "Are you feeling sick? Maybe you should go rest. We can handle things for you."

The discussion halted as the group focused on the King, who took several long seconds before seeming to understand Noctis' words. "Oh… I…" Regis shook his head slowly, the confused look only deepening as he struggled to answer.

Clarus put his bowl down and rose to stand by Regis' side, quickly placing a hand on his forehead. "You have a fever." Clarus muttered. He turned to Ignis, "Could you…?"

Ignis smiled, rising to his feet before Clarus even finished speaking. "I'll make soup for him and bring it up once it's done, along with some medicine." Clarus gave him a relieved nod before guiding Regis upstairs.

Noctis watched them disappear upstairs with the certitude that something was desperately wrong with his dad. A warm hand squeezed his shoulder and Noctis leaned into the comforting touch from Gladio. The conversation slowly started back again so Noctis drew himself back up and focused on what they had to prepare.

* * *

Noctis couldn't sleep. There was a buzz of energy under his skin, something that was and wasn’t magic. Definitely not the magic of his family but familiar in a way he couldn’t pinpoint. Gladio shifted in his sleep, his warm arm moving off of Noctis to cuddle with Prompto on his other side. Noctis bit back a sigh as he decided staying in bed, as warm and as comfortable as it was, wouldn’t help him rest. He slipped out of Ignis’ grasp, pressing a kiss on Ignis’ brow as he stirred.

He wanted - no, _needed -_ to be alone, which meant finding a place with no soldiers or hunters. Noctis nodded at the guards as he wandered into the night, humming as he felt the cold sea breeze brush past him. For a moment, as the wind played with hair as though it were fingers tussling his hair, Noctis thought he’d heard a voice.

_ Proditor. _

What in Ifrit’s name? Noctis glanced around, eyes wide as he tried to find the source of the voice. There were people around, from soldiers to intelligence officers, but none seemed to be responsible for the whisper. The wind rustled again, making Noctis tense up as he focused on his hearing. Once more he heard whispered words but it wasn’t the same voice or feeling as before.

Noctis looked around once more but finding nothing different from his last check, he decided to move upwind with the hope of finding an explanation for what he’d heard. With the wind coming from the sea, Noctis figured heading down to the cliff edge would be a good place to start.

The lighthouse stood out against the starry sky, its light flashing rhythmically above the camp. He’d caught a few more whispers though none as odd as the first one. He couldn’t make much sense of what he was hearing as the wind distorted the sounds too much. And the bits he could recognize made no sense without context.

Maybe Iggy could have figured out what possible context would put the words shade, lesson, crater, and herring together but Noctis was clueless. There were a couple of guards by the entrance of the lighthouse but a quick word with them told Noctis the source of the words wasn’t in the area. Noctis thanked them as he left to continue his search.

Frowning, Noctis looked around the area. The wind had definitely been coming from the sea but where on the cape could it have originated from? A burst of wind brought a new swatch of sounds but one of them stood out to Noctis.

Carbuncle?

He looked around frantically for his friend but saw nothing except a flash of movement moving behind a hill. Noctis raced towards it, mind racing. Had it been Carbuncle? If so, why was the guardian here? A thought occurred to Noctis just as he rounded the hill.

Was this because of Luna’s research?

The thought promptly disappeared from his mind as he spotted the figure stumbling towards the edge of the cliff. “Dad?” Noctis barely had the time to cry out before the figure stumbled too close to the edge. For a brief moment, time stopped and the world greyed out as Noctis focused on his dad.

Then King Regis Lucis Caelum stepped right off the cliff and disappeared from sight.

Noctis screamed in horror even as he drew the first weapon he could reach and warped after him. His first warp left him free falling above where his dad had disappeared. It took a second - too long! He was too slow! - to spot the falling figure against the thrashing ocean below. His second warp put him below his dad.

The third, with a hand tightly wrapped around his dad’s arm, saw Noctis hanging from the cliff side, biting off a scream of pain as the momentum from the drop wasn’t cancelled by his warp and wrenched his shoulder. Still Noctis just tightened his grip on his dad’s arm, forcing the pain the movement caused into a tight corner to be dealt with later.

He could hear people approaching the cliff side and Noctis shouted again. “Down here!” Soon enough, a pair of glaives warped down to help with getting them back on firm ground. As soon as they were back on the cliff, Noctis scrambled to check on his dad. “Shit! Shit! Shit! Dad? Come on, please wake up!”

Regis was lying on the ground, trembling uncontrollably. His eyes were semi-opened but unseeing. The skin Noctis touched was hot and feverish yet his dad looked too pale for comfort. What had Niflheim done to him?

The sudden appearance of a large shadow dropping by his side had Noctis reaching for his sword only to stop as he recognized Clarus and Gladio. “Clarus! Dad, he... He’s...” Noctis didn’t know what to say as he gripped his dad’s hand in his own. Something warm and heavy was draped over his form.

“Come on, Noct.” Gladio wrapped an arm around him. When had Noctis started shaking? He felt cold and exhausted, the hum of magic that had kept him awake now completely gone. Noctis nodded numbly, the pain radiating from his shoulders and back a mere after-thought as he watched Clarus pick his dad up carefully.

Gladio kept speaking softly to Noctis, but Noctis couldn’t figure out what he was saying. Ignis was waiting by the door to the house, eyes worried as he held the door open for them. Noctis related what he’d seen at the cliff. Gladio had been quick to check on his shoulders when he’d related how he’d saved his dad and he knew it was bad when he heard Ignis’ and Prompto’s breath catch behind him.

He focused on his dad to distract himself from the pain. “How is he?” he asked Clarus.

“The doctors gave him a sedative so he’s sleeping for now. They said he might have been experiencing a seizure but without further testing...”

Noctis closed his eyes tightly. “We were planning on heading to Lestallum, so should we...”

“No.” Clarus said, cutting off Noctis’ words. “Regis is too recognizable to go into a city like that.” He sighed and passed a hand over his face, a weary expression telling Noctis how exhausted he was. “I’ll contact Weskham and Sylvia. Between those two, they should be able to figure out a way to help Regis, at least until we can get Insomnia back.”

Noctis pressed his lips together and gave a reluctant nod. Mentally, he added finding some better medical equipment for the house, to his to-do-list. With Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio by his side; Noctis settled down to watch over his dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Proditor means ''traitor'' in latin. ;)  
Make that what you will and I look forward to hearing your screams in the comments XD


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chocobros head to Lestallum to find help for King Regis, and to create a jammer.

Noctis drummed his fingers on the edge of the window. He glanced at his phone every few minutes, the empty screen both a source of relief and profound worry. What if something happened? Would they be able to get back in time to help? What if..?

A hand wrapped around his. “They’ll be fine, Noct,” Gladio said as he gently grabbed the phone out of Noct’s hand. “Try to get some rest.” Noctis tensed up as the phone slipped from his hand and disappeared into Gladio’s pocket but, after a few seconds of insistent pleading looks from all of his boyfriends, Noctis gave a low groan and slumped against his seat. 

He knew they were right. He knew that his dad was with the best people to take care of him but his mind was so busy, so full of everything he needed to do, everything that had to be done, that even when he closed his eyes, Noctis was unable to sleep. A heavy sigh made him look up at Ignis who met his eyes through the mirror with a reluctant expression.

“I believe you still have a few sleeping pills left in the armiger. Perhaps it would do you good to take one?”

Noct grimaced at the suggestion. He didn’t like taking sleeping pills; they often left him groggy and not quite there when he woke up. However, he knew that he needed to actually sleep if he wanted to be of any use once they arrived at Lestallum. It had been close to a week since he’d managed more than an actual hour of sleep; surviving mostly on power naps, coffee, and letting his body rest as much as possible even as his mind churned endlessly.

“...Half a pill….” Noct mumbled as he shifted through the medication he had in his armiger. Gladio grabbed the bottle as it appeared in Noctis’ hand, quickly twisting the top to get at the dark pink pills. Noctis rolled his eyes as his lover broke the pill in half and handed it to him, keeping the bottle to himself.

“We’ll wake you when we get to Lestallum, Noct.” Gladio said as he pushed a water bottle into his free hand. Under his worried gaze, Noctis took the medication without any complaint before moving to snuggle with him as he closed his eyes to try and sleep. Gladio wrapped an arm around the thin form of Noctis and pulled him closer.

It didn’t take long before Noctis’ weight started pressing against Gladio’s side more heavily. He rubbed up and down Noctis’ arm as he felt his body loosen in sleep. As Noctis’ breath grew slow and regular, Gladio glanced up to meet the worried gazes of Ignis and Prompto.

They couldn't protect Noctis from the daemons of his own mind but they would do everything they could to support him.

* * *

Ignis held the door open for Noctis to stumble through, Gladio and Prompto staying close by in case he fell. Gladio stopped by him, a hand coming to rest on his arm. “I’ll take care of Noct. You and Prom should go meet up with Cindy like we planned.” Ignis glanced towards Noctis, Prompto quietly urging him to undress while he untied his sleepy boyfriend’s boots, before he sighed and nodded. Gladio grinned, giving him a quick kiss before going to help Prompto move Noctis.

It didn’t take long before Ignis and Prompto were back on the streets of Lestallum, heading straight for the power plant. Prompto hummed to himself as they walked, hand in hand, through the market. Suddenly he pointed at a nearby table. “Oh! Iggy! Look!” Ignis followed the finger until he found what seemed to have drawn the blond’s attention. 

A bouquet of flowers of sylleblossom, sunflowers, gladiolus, and dahlias.

Prompto tugged Ignis closer with a grin and hop before Ignis could protest, not that he wanted to. “How much for the flowers?” Prompto asked gleefully. Gil was exchanged moments later and the bouquet was pressed into Ignis’ free hand with a kiss. “Love you.”

“I love you as well.” Ignis felt himself relax at the heartfelt gesture. He waited until they were out of sight before sending the flowers into the armiger for safe keeping. Then he pushed Prompto against the wall and proceeded to ravish his boyfriend in thanks.

Cindy took one look at the ruffled duo, raised an eyebrow and asked, “Had a good trip?” Ignis blushed and looked away. Perhaps he should have restrained himself until after their meeting with her. Then he saw the besotted look Prompto sent him and decided that no, he had made the right decision.

He cleared his throat and ignored the intended meaning for the more literal one. "Indeed, the drive was most enjoyable. Thank you for agreeing to help us in this matter." 

Cindy waved this off with a wave of her hand as she turned around to head into the prepared workshop. Prompto bounced after her and Ignis followed sedately with a fond smile. He listened to the mechanics talk shop although most of what was being said was not something he completely understood.

A surprise waited for them within. “About damn time ya got here,” Cid greeted with a huff. “Cindy told me ya needed a hand to make a jammer. I got some experience with those things so show me yer plans and let's get to it.” Prompto’s eyes widened at the demand but he hurried to the older man’s side, already grabbing the plans to show him.

Ignis shared an amused glance with Cindy. “I suppose I should leave you to it then.”

Prompto’s head shot up, a blush letting him know Prompto had momentarily forgotten he was there. “Shit, sorry Iggy! I…” 

Ignis waved the apology away with a chuckle. “No need to apologize Prompto. I’ll get out of your way and return later.” He gave a bow towards Cid and added, “Please contact me should you require anything.” He chuckled again as Prompto hurried over to kiss him before leaving the group to their task.

Ignis hummed to himself as he left the power plant behind. He’d checked in on Noctis, still sleeping peacefully and looking adorable on Gladio’s lap, which meant he had a few hours before supper. Now what to do?

He supposed he could start by looking into medical equipment for his Majesty’s care. Ignis looked around as he made his way to the hospital, remembering the at-home care store located there. It was unlikely to have the more specialized equipment they required but it should have a list of possible providers that Ignis would be able to contact. 

“Ignis!” A voice, familiar and excited, called out to him. Ignis turned around and smiled as Gloria approached him with a smile of her own. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” She lowered her voice to barely more than a whisper and asked. “Is everyone alright?”

Ignis casually looked around before answering. He hadn’t noticed any Niflheim troops within the city, which matched the reports of Izunia shuffling troops since Serena’s ascension, but he was unwilling to take any chances. Seeing no one paying attention to them, Ignis offered his arm to Gloria, “Mostly but something unexpected has occurred that you may be able to assist us with.”

Gloria’s expression didn’t change but her eyes held a determined look to them. “Tell me.” Ignis maneuvered them towards a coffee shop as he explained the recent changes in King Regis’ health. Gloria processed the information silently, hands wrapped around a latte. Ignis waited patiently, sipping his own drink as he observed the people passing by.

“There is a group of medical professionals who are leaving Lestallum in a few days.” Gloria met Ignis’ gaze firmly. “Doctors, nurses, physios, etc. All of them ‘retiring’ to work privately with a third-party insurance company. Funny thing is that they’re taking an awful lot of equipment with them, the kind that would be very useful for a rapid-response team dealing with wilderness situations.”

Ignis raised a brow. “I see…” He remembered a report from Dustin on establishing an external medical team to deal with the expected injuries that were to come. It seemed that the team had been recruited from Lestallum. “And yourself?”

Gloria grinned, “Well that depends on you.” Ignis rolled his eyes at her teasing. Gloria chuckled for a moment before straightening. “I have a lot of vacation saved up. I can head over for a while without it being a problem here.”

Ignis placed a hand over his heart and gave her a short bow. “Thank you. I’ll talk with the HR so you don’t have to worry about using vacation days or about losing your job.” This time it was Gloria who rolled her eyes before guiding the conversation towards local gossip. Two hours later saw Ignis bidding farewell to Gloria at the door of the Lestallum Hospital HR department.

It had proved to be an easy thing to arrange for Gloria to head towards Cape Caem under the guise of the Lestallum medical outreach program. The hospital had also agreed to send some older equipment, what they could spare or no longer used, with her to help with treating King Regis.

As Ignis started making his way through the city, he realized he’d forgotten something important. Between one step and the next, Ignis felt a surge of near-blinding pain run through his back. His vision grew black as he fell to his knees, gasping through the pain.  _ Shit! _ Ignis had forgotten about his injuries from fighting Izunia!

He hadn’t had any serious pain or weakness thanks to the physiotherapy, the healing from Noctis and Selena, and the time he’d spent carefully resting. However, this was the first time in months that Ignis had been out by himself, that he’d been actually walking and moving around to this degree.

Ignis shifted slowly and carefully until he was leaning on the alley wall. Pain greeted every movement and left him exhausted by the time he was able to fish out his phone. He was grateful that Gladio answered so quickly. “Ah… Gladio…I…” He gritted out through clenched teeth. “Can’t...walk...Can you..”

“Shit Iggy!” Gladio guessed the situation easily. “Are you somewhere safe?” Ignis gave a positive grunt and he tilted his head back against the cool ciment. “Alright. I’m going to leave Noct a message so he doesn’t freak out if he wakes up then head over.” Ignis gave another wordless acknowledgement as he forced himself to relax slowly.

It would take a good ten minutes for Gladio to make his way to where Ignis was so all he could do was wait. Ignis counted his breaths slowly until he heard Gladio’s approach. Gladio knelt by Ignis, hands quickly checking over him before he relaxed. “Alright, looks like you just overdid it.”

Ignis rolled his eyes and gritted out, “I know.” Gladio rubbed his back carefully as he waited for the pain to settle down a bit more. Once Ignis indicated he could manage the pain, Gladio shifted so Ignis could climb onto his back. Ignis gritted his teeth and hid his face in the crook of Gladio’s neck. Gladio chuckled and tightened his grip on Ignis’ legs before getting up and starting the trek back to the hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are all still safe and sane(-ish) :)


	17. Chapter 17

Gladio was the one who went to fetch Prompto, having pushed Ignis into taking a bath and resting for the remainder of the day. Something that Noct fully approved of once he woke up. Take-out was brought back for supper and a lazy evening finished their day.

A routine was set and followed over the next few days. Prompto rose early to meet up with Cid and Cindy, working until sunset on the jammer; Ignis, Gladio and Noct kept busy while he was doing that. On the first day, the trio headed to the kingsglaive research facility to check up on things there.

The guards were more than happy to discuss what had been done so far. Of the 50-odd research projects that had been stored at the facility before the attack, only a half dozen were still missing. One of the still-missing projects was the collar that had been used to attack Gladio, which wasn’t a comforting thought for any of them. Still, Noctis was quite happy with the work that had been done to limit Niflheim’s hold on the projects taken.

He made sure to praise the guards for their hard work before they returned to Lestallum.

After that, their schedule was filled with hunts, meetings and preparations for the coming battles. From arranging for supplies to be prepared for the soldiers to simply keeping the road clear from beasts, there was always something to do and Noctis much prefered keeping busy to waiting for something to happen. 

Prompto plunged headfirst into his job, as he worked with Cid and Cindy on the particular issue of the collars. Thanks to the schematics the resistance had provided, Prompto had managed to create a theoretical jammer - however, theory rarely translated directly into practicality. 

The idea behind the jammer was simple. Each collar had 2 different systems, one which handled the explosives and the other that restricted access to magic. Prompto had no idea how that last one was possible so he left that side of things alone. As for the explosives, it appeared that there were several redundant ignitions in place, each with their own unique circuitry.

The explosives were to detonate if any number of things happened. The most pressing issue was that the collars were constantly receiving a signal that acted as a dead man’s switch. Basically, if the signal stopped then the collars would explode. It was also capable of receiving an order to detonate from an outside command, whether verbal or electronic, and would also detonate if the collar detected any attempts to remove it without authorization.

Ignis had suggested trying to get the authorization codes for the collars but the idea had been abandoned when they’d realized who held the device that created the codes every three hours. General Glauca was too wary and guarded for any attempts they could plan in a short time frame. That only left the options of jamming the detonation command signal while allowing the all-clear to be received.

After close to a week of near-constant work, they were able to come up with a working prototype. Prompto presented it to Noctis with a weary but satisfied grin. “Ta-dah! One jammer prototype! Cid and Cindy were such great help!” He drew aside the tarp, revealing the messy-looking jammer with all its wires and parts exposed. “We haven’t figured out how to deal with the magic jammer Niflheim has been using but this,” he patted the machine fondly, “will prevent any detonation command from activating in a 5 km radius.”

“Five km? We’d need over 100 of them to cover Insomnia.” Ignis noted with a frown.

Prompto quickly said, “That’s why this is just a prototype! Cid said he should be able to increase the reach if we can go grab some more mythril for him.”

“I suppose that means we should head to the Steyliff Grove once more.” Ignis sighed, already planning out what they’d need for the trip. “Will Mr. Cid and Cindy be working on additional jammers while we go fetch what they require?” Prompto nodded.

Noctis had perked up when Ignis had mentioned Steyliff Grove. “Then let’s get going! The faster we get the mythril, the faster we can take Insomnia back.” It wasn’t the only reason he was so keen on heading back to the old library but what he wanted to check would have to wait until after they managed to find more mythril.

If they had the time…. If it was even possible, then Noctis wanted Ardyn to meet his lovers properly and explain their plan to deal with Izunia.

As Ignis grabbed Prompto to do some shopping, Noctis called Cor to let him know about the jammers being built and their plans to go to Steyliff Grove while Gladio packed. It wasn’t long before they were back in the Regalia and leaving Lestallum.

“Last time you guys went to the grove with Aranea, right?” Gladio asked as he flicked one of his books open. “What should I expect?”

Prompto half turned in his seat to answer, “A lot of wraiths, flans, and liches but the whole place is amazing!”

“More than you know.” Noctis’ words had the others stare at him, worry and confusion battling it out in their expressions. He hadn’t meant for them to hear him, hadn’t meant to say it outloud even, but he had and they had. Noctis ran a hand through his hair. “There’s.... Something else in that place. Once we get the mythril, I’ll explain more. Promise.”

Gladio huffed as he leaned back once more. “You’d better keep your word princess, otherwise it’s 6 a.m. training runs for a week!” The car was filled with Noctis’ groan of horror then with laughter as the tension drained from them. 

The comfortable banter that had filled the Regalia when they had first traveled through Lucis returned bit by bit. The last week really helped Noct relax and recover. His dad was being cared for by Gloria, who had also accepted the role of liaison between the guards, glaives, hunters and the newly formed medical team; and everyone was moving into position to strike back at Niflheim as soon as the signal was given. The glaives and guards imprisoned within Insomnia were working hard to ensure the citizens stayed safe and would be able to hide once the fighting started.

Cor and Lance were handling the guards and glaives respectively, and were confident in being able to coordinate the attack on Insomnia with attacks on the bases scattered throughout Lucis. Ravus seemed to be doing fine in Tenebrae, working with the resistance and the population to get ready for their own strike. Even Sylvia was keeping in regular contact as she acted as their liaison for the main resistance group in Niflheim.

All in all, Noctis was feeling confident that their plan would succeed.

"Imperials incoming!"

And of course they'd show up just as Noct was enjoying himself.

Ignis pulled the car over and the group got out to fight. "Three airships!" Prompto said as he pulled his guns out of the armiger. "Though… it looks like they're coming straight for us?"

"Prompto is correct. That isn't a typical patrol group nor do they appear to be following a search pattern." Ignis frowned as he followed Prompto's example by grabbing his lance.

Gladio grunted as he stepped in front of them. "Figure it out later. Noct?" 

"On it!" Noctis brought out a thunder vial, handed it over to Prompto and watched with satisfaction as it was launched at the closest airship. The pure lightning exploded all over the ship, igniting one of the engines and sending it crashing down.

It wouldn't necessarily kill any of the MTs inside but it would kill any of the human or clones. The other two airships were already dropping their cargoes, a few magitek armor and a lot of infantry. Ignis called out, "Noct, Prompto! Take out the magitek armor!"

"Sure thing, Specs!" Prompto hefted his rifle and took aim. Noctis waited a beat, grinning as Prompto sent several bullets straight into the joints of the armors to paralyze them, before he warp-striked the closest of them. His sword cut through the plate with ease and Noctis wasted no time in ruining the hydraulics of one arm.

He twisted mid-air to avoid the saw-arm, brought out a fire flask, threw it against the exposed gears before warping to safety. The explosion shook the ground but other than a quick glance to ensure the MA was out of commission, he turned his attention to the second MA. He needn't have bothered as Prompto had already destroyed all the joints, leaving the MA's automated system to whirr uselessly on the ground.

As for the infantry, Noct whistled as he watched Ignis and Gladio work together to finish the last few troopers. Still… "You okay Specs?" He asked as he hurried over to them in case Ignis needed a potion or something. Prompto had shifted his attention to the MTs slowly approaching from the wreckage of the third airship but they were slow enough that Prompto could pick them off one by one.

Ignis looked a bit pale, which told Noctis more than enough even before his lover answered. "It seems I'm not quite ready to be jumping into combat as I used to." Gladio was rubbing a hand soothingly over the small of his back. "However I am not injured."

Noctis rolled his eyes and motioned towards the car. "I'll drive so go make yourself comfortable in the back seat. Prom and I can handle the leftovers." Ignis opened his mouth to retort only to yelp as Gladio picked him up.

"Shout if you need a hand." Gladio waited until Noct nodded before heading to the regalia. Noctis turned to face the wreckage of the airship only to find no sign of the soldiers that had been approaching.

"All done dude! Is Iggy okay?" Prompto gave a mock salute as he walked over though his eyes were trained on Gladio and Ignis' retreating form.

"Back's hurting so I told him to get comfy. Gladio'll watch over him till we’re done." Prompto blinked in surprise but followed after Noctis nonetheless. Noct headed towards the whirring but useless MA. "I want to see if we can figure out how the Niffs found us, if it wasn't just a coincidence."

It wasn't.

Prompto swore as he shifted through the command logs of the MA, Noct watching over his shoulder. "This is a biiig problem."

"Ya. Any clues on who it might be?" Noct asked already taking his phone out. When Prompto shook his head, Noct was the one to swear. "Okay. I'm calling Monica. She's the one Cor usually turns to to deal with these kinds of things."

"Tell her I'm copying the data for her."

Noctis nodded and half turned away, heart beating wildly as he waited for the call to go through. "Your Majesty? What do you need?" 

Noct released the breath he'd been holding as he said. "There is a traitor among us. We just got attacked by three airships and Prompto found logs indicating Niflheim is aware of our plans. He's making copies."

Monica stayed silent for a long moment before she spoke again. "Ifrit's balls. Where are you right now?"

"On the road to Steyliff."

"Very well. I'll meet you there at sundown. Don't tell anyone else." The call ended abruptly.

Noct waited until Prompto had finished copying the logs before they headed back to their boyfriends. In a few words, he explained the situation to Ignis and Gladio before slipping behind the wheel. They would have to be vigilant now that Niflheim was guaranteed to be waiting for them.

Noctis could only hope that they would be able to find the traitor before more damage could be done.


	18. Chapter 18

As soon as Noctis and Prompto slipped back into the car, they shared with Ignis and Gladio the unwelcomed news. The rest of the trip was silent as each of them processed the news of a traitor in their midst. Noctis slowed down as they approached the nearest parking spot for the grove.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Noct muttered under his breath as he saw the Niflheim soldiers crawling over the area.

Gladio growled as he shifted Ignis carefully off of him. "Come on, let's clean these assholes up so Captain Monica won't have to worry about them." Noctis nodded as he pulled the car to the side.

Prompto was out the moment he safely could, a rifle already in hand and aiming by the time Noct and Gladio joined him. Noctis warped into the middle of the troops, his sword speared through the head of a clone for a brief moment. He dropped a lightning flask where he stood even as he threw his sword and warped out of range.

Noctis' ears were filled with the sound of static and thrumming of his blood as he jumped, warped and twisted through the soldiers surrounding him. He saw out of the corner of his eyes the results of Prompto's excellent aim, MTs falling mid-strike to the ground where they exploded in a burst of smoke and shrapnel.

Noctis stumbled out of combat, his sword letting him hang from a tree as he caught his breath, just in time to see Gladio become a whirlwind of movement as he destroyed the soldiers surrounding him. A quick glance towards the Regalia showed him Ignis keeping an eye on the fighting and directing Prompto's attention where it was needed.

It took only a few more minutes before the fighting was over. Noctis using a potion to heal the few cuts and bruises he'd gotten. As he returned to the car, he asked, "Should we leave the car here and grab some chocobos?" The suggestions made Prompto perk up excitedly. Noctis chuckled as he glanced at Ignis, "Think you'd be able to manage a chocobo?*

Ignis frowned thoughtfully before he answered slowly, "I believe so. At worst I will ride with you or Prompto." Noctis nodded and slipped back into the Regalia, the others following his example. They had to backtrack a bit but soon enough, the four were petting their chocobos.

An hour, and three fights against patrols, later found them finally arriving at the Steyliff Grove. Once more they were met with Niflheim soldiers. "Who wants the honours?" Gladio whispered to his boyfriends with a huff.

Prompto chuckled as he grabbed a grenade from their stocks. "May I?" The grenade had obviously been modified as Noct couldn't remember ever seeing a grenade with twin vials filled with a crimson liquid tied to its sides. Noctis raised a brow in a wordless question to which Prompto responded with a sly grin before passing the grenade to him. "Drop it as close to the middle of the grove as you can for maximum effect!"

Noctis shook his head at Prompto's tone, one that brought to mind King's Knight ads when a new upgrade or dungeon was introduced. He took the grenade gingerly, leaned in towards Ignis as he pointed out the best warp point to get above the soldiers without being seen. Two warps placed Noctis 75m above the grove among the entwining branches, looking down at the five squads guarding the entrance to the underground ruins.

"Here goes." Noct said as he lobbed the grenade into the middle of the grove. The small object dropped towards the ground, watched by four pairs of eyes then dozens more as someone below noticed it.

Too late!

From his perch, Noctis couldn't quite see when the grenade touched the ground but he clearly saw its effect. There were no explosions. No big  _ bang.  _

Noctis' eyes widened as a sphere of red transparent lightning surrounded the grove within the span of 3 seconds. He could feel the magic, recognized it with a choked gasp. 

Kaitiaki. And Selena's magical signature.

Within the sphere, time seemed to have stopped as no movement could be seen from the soldiers; humans, clones or MTs. This state lasted all of three breaths before the sphere collapsed on itself. Noctis watched as all the soldiers dropped to the ground, unmoving.

"Damn Prom! When did you make that...what do you call it?" Noctis asked as he warped down to his friends.

Prompto scratched the back of his neck, red creeping up his cheeks adorably. “Selena suggested  _ Kaitiaki’s lightning _ but I just call it the red one.” Noctis grinned and couldn’t resist swooping to kiss his boyfriend. Prompto blushed even more and buried his head against Noctis’ chest, “Noooct!” Then he added, “Mom helped me with the chemistry of it…”

“Your Majesty.” Monica’s calm voice interrupted the moment and Prompto’s explanation. The four men turned to see her step into the clearing, rising a brow as she took in the motionless bodies lying across the grove. “I see the empire moves quickly.” She then stared at the group and demanded, “What did you find about the traitor?”

It didn’t take long to fill Monica in on the few details Prompto had managed to glean from the logs. It wasn’t much, only that someone had notified General Drautos and Chancellor Izunia that they were in Lestallum, working on a jammer. Then less than an hour after Noctis had called Cor to let him know about their plans to head here, a new message had been sent to General Drautos with that information.

“It can’t be Cor.” Noctis said adamant. “But I don’t know who might have been told of our plans after I spoke with him.”

Monica nodded briskly, “This isn’t the first sign that we had a traitor giving Niflheim information, there has been an increase in Niflheim troops intercepting our own as they moved, but it is certainly decisive evidence to that fact. I am aware of whom Cor spoke with about your destination; however, that complicates things considerably.”

Noctis was about to ask what she meant by that but was interrupted by Ignis’ sharp intake of breath. “It is one of the commanders.” The words sent a shard of ice into Noctis’ spine.

“Or one of King Regis’ inner circle.” Monica said with a glance at Ignis and Gladio. “There is always the possibility of a wire tap or other means of interception but considering how quickly the information is being sent to Niflheim, it is more likely that we have a mole providing the information directly.”

Noctis swore, his hand passing over his face then straightened to give Monica her orders. “Do what you need to figure out where the information is coming from. Pull people from the glaives or guards if you need to. As soon as you clear someone from all suspicion, let me know. We’ll have to change the timeline for our plans.”

Monica bowed deeply, “It will be done Your Majesty. I have already cleared Marshall Leonis, Lance Argentum, and Ser Navalus. Should I make them aware of the situation?” Noctis nodded. Monica left soon after that, leaving them to wait until nightfall for the door to the ruins to open.

Noctis spent that time pacing across the grove restlessly. He was worried about his dad. Was he still safe in Cape Caem if there was such a highly placed traitor in their midst? But where else would be safe? He didn’t know.

“Noct.” Gladio called out as the sun dipped below the tree line. “Time to go.” Noctis turned to his lovers, the sight of the 3 men that held his heart reminding him that he wasn’t alone. Monica would not rest until she found who the traitor was. Noctis would trust her to do so and focus on what he could do.

“Right. Let’s go.”

The ruins were just as Noctis remembered, though they only had to deal with a few daemons, mostly flans and skeletons which were easily dealt with. Then Noctis had the pleasure of seeing Gladio react to the watery ceiling by staring at it with an open mouth.

“It's beautiful, right?” Prompto whispered as he sidled up to Gladio, wrapping an arm around his waist. Gladio said nothing, merely nodding silently. Ignis and Noct joined them as they waited until Gladio chose to move away from the mesmerizing sight.

They descended into the ruins floor by floor, killing what attacked them but otherwise simply enjoying each other's presence. They were back in the room where they'd fought the Quetzalcoatl in no time. Gladio whistled as he saw the decomposing corpse. "Damn! You guys managed to bring that monster down? I'm impressed."

Ignis shrugged delicately, "Aranea was a great help in the endeavour. It's a pity it chose to attack us so relentlessly. It was quite the sight alive."

Prompto chuckled, throwing an arm around Ignis shoulders. "Iggy here wanted to adopt it as a pet!"

"Prompto!"

Noctis laughed delightfully as Ignis swiped at Prompto who jumped back to avoid it, only to stumble on some loose rocks and go down with a shriek. "You were praising it quite a bit, Specs. I don't think it would fit anywhere even if it was still alive."

Ignis sighed, rolling his eyes at his ridiculous boyfriends. "Let's change the subject. We found the mythril here during our last trip, but is there any more?"

The question plunged the group into silence as they finished crossing the room. Noctis walked up the stairs slowly and shrugged, "Only one way to find out." Then he stopped in his tracks. "...wasn't expecting this."

Instead of the ruined corridor he had expected to see, the area on top of the stairs was a welcome surprise. "What the…?" Prompto whispered, his camera already in hand and rising to take a photograph. Ignis and Gladio seemed as shocked as Prompto as they stepped forward to stand by Noctis' side.

" ** _Welcome to Carbuncle's Library, chosen companions of the chosen king_ ** _ ." The speaker still had the brown hair that held gold reflections, wide deep green eyes and quirky smile that Noctis remembered from his first meeting with them. " _ ** _I apologize for bringing you to these halls so suddenly. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable, we have much to discuss_ ** _ ." The Keeper gestured towards a small table filled with their favourite food and drinks. _

_ Noctis grinned as he walked over, his stomach rumbling at the delicious smells coming from it. " _ ** _These look delicious! Thanks K._ ** _ " He had already taken a bite from a chocolate fondue ball by the time the others snapped out of their shock. _

_ Gladio frowned, crossing his arms as he looked at the Keeper with unwarranted suspicion. Ignis was doing the same though a bit more discreetly. Prompto simply looked at how comfortable Noct was before thanking their weird host and joining Noct in eating. _

_ Noctis rolled his eyes and decided that he'd better introduce his two overprotective friends before things got more awkward for him. " _ ** _Keeper, may I present to you my boyfriends Ignis Scientia, my advisor, and Gladiolus Amicitia, my Shield. Guys, this is the Keeper of Carbuncle's living dream. I told you about this place before._ ** _ " _

_ Ignis and Gladio hesitated a moment, clearly trying to remember the instance. The Keeper smiled indulgently, " _ ** _Your caution does you credit. Fear not, I will not remain for long though you will have another joining you in my stead._ ** _ "  _

_ Noctis' head jerked up. " _ ** _Ardyn is joining us?_ ** _ " The Keeper nodded even as Ignis, Gladio and Prompto frowned at the news. " _ ** _...figures. I was planning on telling them anyways so I guess it makes sense to do it here and with him._ ** _ " Noctis hung his head with a groan then straightened, grabbed another pastry then asked, " _ ** _By the way, do you have mythril laying around we can grab?_ ** _ " _

_ " _ ** _Noct!_ ** _ " " _ ** _Noctis!_ ** _ " " _ ** _Nooooct…_ ** _ " The three cries made him smirk as the Keeper rolled his eyes and tilted his head towards a blackwood chest. Noctis ignored the muttered comments on his lack of decorum to lean back until he could reach the chest to flick it open. _

_ Noct gave a low whistle at the large mythril stone he saw inside. " _ ** _Awesome!_ ** _ " He thrust the mythril into his armiger, allowed the lid to slam down and returned his chair to a proper, four footed position. Then, as K left them alone, Noctis turned his attention to his lovers with a determined expression. " _ ** _You might as well get comfortable because this is going to be a long discussion_ ** _ ." _

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment! They help me keep inspired and motivated.
> 
> Updates will be sporadic as I work towards a buffer of chapters.


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